In response to the recent developments in policies regarding SEVP changes, the International Solidarity Working Group drafted a memo asking President Cauce to create a Task Force that would center the needs and experiences of folks directly targeted by these updates.

Please consider signing on with your name and department affiliation to this letter, which can be found in full below. The letter with the full list of signatures can also be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15pYrQ4IBSD92bqzJLGIJdjJ8BTSzPH2vZmOaZu_vgRU/edit?usp=sharing 

Dear President Cauce,

Thank you for your recent July 7, 2020 statement in support of international students and opposing the announcement by the Department of Homeland Security targeting F1 visa holders.  This, as well as your June 25, 2020 statement (“New visa restrictions are a threat to learning and innovation”), comprise a strong principled message against the wave of anti-immigrant attacks coming from the White House.  Our recent letters to the White House, the Governor, City Council, and Congress reflect the same stance and we look forward to working together to fight back against these dangerous and bigoted attacks through litigation, policy making, or whatever other tools are available to us to preserve a safe and inclusive campus.

Given the persistence of recent attacks and the urgent need for us to work in broad coalition across all UW campuses to support non-citizen members of our community, we are writing to propose that the University create a UW system-wide Task Force to address the needs of international and undocumented populations.  We further propose that this be composed of a majority of non-citizen members, inclusive of student, faculty and staff, who represent unions; student, staff and faculty governance organizations; employee associations; RSOs, or others whose constituents are largely non-citizens.

A Task Force like this could help provide timely and coordinated communication with campus constituents to minimize the uncertainty and alienation these announcements are designed to invoke.  Working closely with UW International Scholars Operations and International Student Services, a Task Force could help provide communications resources, mobilization capacity, legal experience, and relationships with off-campus organizations and policy-makers who could also help promote and support the needs of affected students, staff and faculty.  Part of our objective would be to relieve some of the communications burden facing ISO and ISS representatives, who we understand have been overwhelmed by questions when these unexpected announcements are made.

As international students, scholars, and allies, we are excited at the prospect of participating in discussions about the scope and charge of such a Task Force, and in helping move an agenda that provides strong and inclusive support for non-citizen communities at UW.  Again, we think majority representation by affected populations is essential to center the needs and experiences of those of us who are targeted by these policies and proposals.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.  Please write to us at intl-workgroup@uaw4121.org.