In a statement released Sunday afternoon, the University of Oregon expressed support for international students in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.
“We are troubled by the decision of the new U.S. administration to begin a process of closing our borders,” the statement from UO President Michael Schill and Provost Scott Coltrane read. “Many are concerned for our fellow students, faculty members, and staff members from the targeted countries.”
The university also announced that it has communicated directly with the 39 students from the seven predominantly-Muslim countries targeted by Trump’s visa ban, “recommending these students avoid travel outside the U.S., given the ban and ensuing uncertainty.”
Trump’s executive order blocks the entry of citizens of the following countries for the next 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
It is still unclear what will happen to international students from these countries who are in the U.S. legally. UO is currently in the process of hiring an administrator to be a resource to these students.
UO’s statement comes in response to President Trump approving a sweeping executive order on immigration on Friday. In addition to blocking travel from the countries mentioned above, the order suspends all refugees from entering the United States for 120 days and suspends Syrian refugees from entry indefinitely.
Perhaps most notably, the order initially blocked entry for people from those seven countries that hold U.S. green cards – people who are legal permanent residents of the U.S.
Chaos and confusion erupted on Saturday when travelers who were in the air at the time the order took effect were detained upon entry to the U.S.
Dozens of immigration lawyers went to the airports in New York and Washington D.C. to offer free counsel to those who were detained. By Saturday afternoon, a federal judge slowed the chaos by blocking part of Trump’s executive order, ensuring that those caught in U.S. airports would not immediately be deported.
According to the New York Times, there is currently “significant confusion and disagreement among border agents about who was affected by Trump’s order.”
This story is developing; updates to come.