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Cornell University

Office of the Assemblies

SA R37 (2024-2025): Protecting Immigrant Students

Acknowledged by the President

  • Resolution:
    SA R37 (2024-2025): Protecting Immigrant Students
  • Day:
    April 14, 2025
  • Action:
    Acknowledged by the President
  • Summary / Notes:

    Dear Zora and Ocean,

    Thank you for conveying to me SA Resolution 37: Protecting Immigrant Students and GPSA Resolution 10: Protecting Immigrant Students. This is an extremely difficult time for immigrant students and our international community members. I have met with many students who are anxious and concerned about their immigration status and their ability to travel freely, and I thank the assemblies for their concern for and care for immigrant and international students in our population. 

    Cornell is committed to supporting our immigrant and international community, and to helping mitigate the impact of the ongoing changes to the federal landscape. We have established several sites providing guidance and updated information, including the Executive Order site, the immigration advice and resources site, and international services web page. These pages are updated as conditions change and provide the community with our most current understanding of changes in federal immigration policies.

    Key university resources and programs include:

    The SA and GPSA have asked for Know Your Rights (KYR) training for our community. As a general rule, Cornell avoids adding mandatory training for all students, staff, and faculty for whom the information may not be required. However, we’ve made many KYR resources available and continue to offer these resources to the community: 

    • Substantive guidelines are available on our Executive Order site for students, staff, and faculty.
    • A detailed presentation of KYR was prepared by a faculty member in the Law School, who provided the training to over 500 people, with the intention that those receiving the training would be a resource to others. Resources associated with the training are available here (KYR Resources).
    • Two comprehensive KYR webinars have been also been held (March 20 and 24) and these resources are available online here (recording and slides).

    We continue to follow university policy and federal law regarding the protection of sensitive personal information, including FERPA. The Office of the University Registrar website details the disclosures permitted by FERPA, and as shared in guidance available on Cornell’s Executive Order site, “absent a valid judicial subpoena or warrant, or as otherwise required by law, the university generally will not release information to any agency or provide consent to agents to enter any areas where students, staff and faculty work or live.” 

    The Cornell University Police’s policy on immigration related issues limits gathering and sharing information related to immigration status and protects civil rights. This policy is included in mandatory training for all new officers and regular in-service training is provided to all officers, sometimes including law school faculty from the immigration clinic.  

     I recognize that there is deep concern and uncertainty in our community with regard to the rapidly changing federal enforcement policies and visa terminations. As I stated in my message outlining our guiding principles, Cornell has a foundational commitment to access and diversity across academic and co-curricular programs. A secure, vibrant, and diverse international community is critical to our university, and we will continue to value and support our immigrant and international undergraduate and graduate students.

    I am sorry to say that the University cannot provide legal counsel to individual community members in connection with their personal legal challenges, including those arising from protests or other expressive activities that violate our policies. Please note that these policies include robust support for the 1st Amendment rights that are compliant with reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions and do not prevent others from accessing our programs. In addition, a student’s immigration status is not a relevant factor under the Student Code of Conduct when the University Hearing and Review Board considers appropriate sanctions after a finding of responsibility. The university will continue to follow the Code and its associated procedures to ensure that the conduct system protects the community’s interest in enforceable conduct expectations and standards. 

    With regard to your request to designate certain buildings as “exempt from activity by ICE and other external enforcement officials,” please refer to Cornell’s guidance to the university community. In the context of providing a welcoming and safe learning and research environment, the university will comply with “applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Absent a valid judicial subpoena or warrant, or as otherwise required by law, the university generally will not release information to any agency or provide consent to agents to enter any areas where students, staff and faculty work or live. If presented with a subpoena or search warrant, it is the role of Cornell University Police Department (CUPD), in consultation with the Office of General Counsel (OGC), to evaluate whether it is a valid judicial subpoena or warrant and ensure that it is properly reviewed and understood before responding.” This protocol applies to all university facilities, including Sage Chapel and Anabel Taylor Hall, and CUPD and OGC will review any documentation presented by external law enforcement officials seeking to enter these buildings.

    Thank you for the care and attention the SA and GPSA have shown to these critical issues.

    Sincerely,

    Michael Kotlikoff

    Michael Kotlikoff, V.M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D. (h.c.)

    President and Professor of Molecular Physiology

    Cornell University

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