On Monday, President Morton Schapiro said Northwestern will refuse to provide information regarding students' immigration status to the federal government. He said "doing the right thing matters more than ever" in times like this, and that NU will also continue its policy of not detaining individuals based on their immigration status.
This announcement came as an addendum to an email sent Sunday afternoon, when Schapiro said President Trump's recent executive order concerning immigration raises "serious concerns" for the Northwestern community, and that it would continue to protect students and staff regardless of their beliefs or nationalities. Schapiro also advised students from the seven countries mentioned in the order to avoid traveling abroad.
Trump's executive order, known colloquially as the "Muslim ban," bars Muslims from seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) from entering the U.S. for a 90-day period, while refugees from any country are prohibited from entering the country for 120 days. The order does not explicitly affect citizens from those countries that have already been naturalized, but beginning Friday, many citizens from the affected countries were detained at airports even if they were naturalized or had a green card.
Schapiro said in his original email that the NU administration is committed to fostering an inclusive community, and it will take "the necessary actions" to protect affected students and faculty. He urged those with concerns to contact the International Office or the Graduate School, and said NU still welcomes all international students.
Other schools, such as the University of Michigan, have already made similar statements saying they will not release immigration status of students. NU also assured students that the university is collaborating with other American schools to express its position to the government on the order and monitor the situation.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:02 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 to include an additional statement from President Schapiro.