Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and UMass Boston Community Members,
The university has learned that the Department of Homeland Security revoked the F-1 student visas and terminated the non-immigrant statuses of two current students and five other members of our university community including recent graduates participating in training programs.
The legal status to remain in the United States has been terminated for each of these individuals. The university was not notified by federal authorities of these status terminations and only became aware because of the Office of Global Programs’ proactive vigilance and monitoring of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database. This development is not unique to UMass Boston. In fact, over the last week institutions across the Commonwealth and the nation have reported similar revocations and terminations impacting the immigration statuses of their students.
Upon learning of these status terminations, the Office of Global Programs followed university protocol and immediately provided the individuals with information and support. We are connecting them with various resources and providing direct assistance from the leadership teams within the Provost’s Office, Student Affairs, and the Office of Global Programs. We also continue to work with the University of Massachusetts system Office of General Counsel and the Attorney General of Massachusetts to ensure that we do everything within our power to protect our entire community.
We recognize the significant impact that visa revocations and status terminations have on our students, and we empathize with them and our entire community. We remain focused on understanding the changes in federal process and policy while providing support to our impacted community members.
These are unprecedented times, and our normal guiding principles for living in a democratic society are being challenged. With the rate and depth of changes occurring, we must be thoughtful in how we best prepare, protect, and respond. We will not change who we are: our mission, our values, or our steadfast commitment to our students and all members of our vibrant university community. We will intensify our dedication to fostering an inclusive and thriving community, to relentlessly support our community—especially our students—while remaining vigilant in our responsibility to protect individual rights in accordance with state and federal laws.
We continue to add federal policy updates and resources — including guidance for international students, employees and scholars — to our federal, state and policy news webpage to assist our campus community with staying informed.
For inquiries directly related to status please reach out to:
- F-1 International Students and J-1 Exchange Visitors please contact the Office of Global Programs: International Student and Scholar Services, ISSS@UMB.EDU
- Faculty & Staff please contact Human Resources
In solidarity,
Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
