BSU Community,

As part of our commitment to keeping the community informed on important matters impacting our campus, we wanted to take a moment to provide clarity on recent activity related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — ICE, particularly how it may affect students and employees who hold nonimmigrant visas.

What is ICE doing?

Under a federal executive order aimed at national security, government agencies have been directed to strengthen how they review and monitor individuals from other countries who are entering or currently living in the United States. This has resulted in an increase in visa enforcement actions, including terminating student visa records in SEVIS, a federal tracking system.

Here are some reasons the government may end a student's visa status:

• National security or foreign policy concerns: If the U.S. government believes a person’s presence in the country could negatively impact foreign policy, they may begin deportation proceedings.

• Failure to follow visa rules: This includes not maintaining full-time enrollment, working without permission, or breaking any of the conditions tied to the visa.

• Visa revocation: The U.S. Department of State has broad authority to cancel a visa at any time, for any reason. Once a visa is revoked, the person is no longer legally allowed to stay in the country.

• Being in the country without valid status: If someone’s visa is revoked or they break the rules of their visa, they are considered to be in the country unlawfully and may be deported.

Recent terminations of student visas have been tied to activities such as participating in protests or expressing views on social media, past arrests or criminal charges, and failing to follow visa regulations.

We urge all international students to keep their contact information up to date with the Office of International Education and Student Services and to follow all requirements for maintaining their visa status.

Questions or concerns should be directed to the Office of International Education and Student Services.

What happens if ICE or law enforcement visits campus?

• If any law enforcement officer, federal or state, comes to campus with a warrant, subpoena, or other legal document, they must be directed to the Office of the General Counsel in the Henry Administration Building, Suite 2300.

• No university employee should share any information or provide access without approval from the Office of the General Counsel.

• If an officer asks to enter areas that aren’t open to the public (such as a residence hall, lab, faculty or staff office) they should be asked to wait while Campus Police and the Office of the General Counsel are contacted. Access will only be given if proper legal authorization is provided and verified.

• Employees should not refuse to provide information or access; they should simply inform the officer that university policy requires them to consult with legal counsel before responding. Some student information is protected by law and cannot be shared without a court order. Federal privacy law, or FERPA, protects certain student information from disclosure unless a valid court order is presented.

Faculty and staff who are unsure how to respond to a request from law enforcement should contact the Office of the General Counsel.

What will Bowie State University do?

Please know that we are committed to protecting the rights and well-being of all members of our campus community. We are actively monitoring federal policies and executive orders that may impact students and employees with visas.

We remain committed to ensuring that everyone in our community has access to a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment. Should there be any important updates, we will share new information and resources to help you stay informed.

Karen Johnson Shaheed, Esq.

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief of Staff

Office of Legal and Government Affairs