April 29, 2025: Supporting Our Global Community

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 email from President Sarah Bolton to campus with an update on work to support and protect international students and colleagues:

Dear Whitman Community, 

I provide an update on our work to support and protect international students and colleagues, as well as students and colleagues with DACA status and others who are not US citizens, as we see rapid changes in federal policies and actions related to visas, SEVIS status, and immigration enforcement. 

Whitman College is extremely fortunate to have students, faculty and staff from across the country and around the world. The contributions of these members of our community are crucial to making Whitman a strong college and an excellent place for students to learn, grow and prepare for their futures. Whether born inside or outside the United States, all should be able to learn, work and thrive on our campus with confidence, knowing they are safe.

The College is absolutely committed to protecting and supporting international and other non-citizen members of our community to the fullest extent possible under the law. ASWC passed a resolution last week calling for the College to adopt practices associated with sanctuary. Because sanctuary can mean different things to different people, and providing the most accurate possible information is crucial to the safety of individuals affected by these policies, we are sharing updates on Whitman’s work here. 

• The college and all of its staff will protect students’ and employees’ safety and privacy to the maximum possible extent under the law. 

  • No college staff member will provide any information on students or employees to ICE or other outside agents unless we are absolutely required to do so by a legal order, such as a signed judicial warrant.

  • If someone comes to campus seeking a student or employee, we would not provide them any information or access to non-public spaces unless they have a signed judicial warrant from a judge that requires us to do so.

  • If the agent has a signed judicial warrant, we would work with our attorneys to see whether there are legal grounds to object to the warrant or to require that it be narrowed in scope.

  • As Dean Joshua shared several weeks ago, we have developed more specific guidance for those who may be interested in additional details, which can be found here. It is based on best practices developed by a number of legal efforts supporting the rights of immigrants and others who are not US citizens.

• If a student or employee has their visa revoked or SEVIS status terminated, or is approached or detained by ICE or other federal agents, we will immediately connect the student or employee with expert legal assistance to help them and can provide some financial assistance and other support. We have brought expert immigration attorneys to campus several times, to work with students and employees and provide information and guidance, and will continue to provide resources as needs evolve.

• We are making plans for students who may unexpectedly need to stay on campus this summer due to visa or immigration concerns, and the Dean of Students’ office is collaborating with Cody Tornow, Director of International Student and Scholar Services and others, to make sure we have provisions for housing, food, employment, wellness and other support. International students with questions about the summer should contact Cody Tornow to talk through their options and what may work best for them.

• Whitman staff are working with a number of organizations (Presidents’ Alliance on Immigration and Higher education, National Association of International Educators, American Council on Education, and others) to track the evolving situation and provide the best available guidance to the community. We are also working with these organizations to advocate for the rights of our students and colleagues at the state and federal levels, and to weigh in through amicus briefs in court cases.

I am deeply grateful for our global community, and for the care shown across our college to ensure that we are providing the best support to those who may need it in a time of changing federal practices. Many people have been involved in the work to provide this support, but my special thanks go to Director of International Student and Scholar Services Cody Tornow, Dean Kazi Joshua, Chief of Staff Maggie Eaheart, Director of Residential Life Andrew Padilla Johnson, AVP of Wellness Aimée Milne, Assistant Director for Faculty Human Resources Atarah Pinder, AVP of Human Resources Erika Cerda, Bon Appetit Manager Shannon Null and the teams in the Offices of Communications, Provost and Dean of Faculty, Student Affairs, Business and Administration and Inclusive Excellence for their deep commitment and extensive work to rapidly create these supportive programs. We will continue this work and will keep you updated.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bolton