Dear Wesleyan Community,
Please avail yourselves to the briefing/FAQ document produced by the American Council on Education, which contains vital information on the current issue of undocumented status in higher education and the campus sanctuary movement.
Furthermore, as Wesleyan develops long-term resources to address the needs of DACA students, and students from mixed-status families, I encourage you to take advantage of the confidential resources in CAPS and ORSL, as well as the following legal resources:
Connecticut Legal Services of New Britain runs a DACA hotline: 860-798-0671
Immigration Law Help and the Immigration Advocates Network provide a nationwide clearing house of legal support, given immigration laws and removal proceeding are inherently complex and are best served by local legal assistance.
A standing committee of key operational offices (financial aid, class deans office, academic affairs, international student services, public safety, residential life, CAPS, center for community partnerships, admissions, legal, office of spiritual & religious life, communications, office for equity & inclusion) at Wesleyan have begun meeting in order to provide granular clarity to available resources and opportunities to continue to develop critical competencies in the service of students, staff, and any faculty potentially at risk due to their immigration status. You should direct questions regarding the committee directly to me.
As a reminder, we are planning on bringing back elements of the C4D team to conduct a focused 2-hour workshop for Wesleyan educators. Thus far, only four individuals have signed-up. If you’re interested, please sign up here.
As questions arise, have confidence that a network of support has always been in place and will become increasingly visible on the issue of immigration status. Please don’t hesitate to contact the OEI staff, who are here to serve as a resource and sounding board for continued community engagement.
With gratitude,
Antonio Farias
VP for Equity & Inclusion/Sec. 504 & Title IX Officer