Colleges issue guidance to Mass. international students around travel plans and paperwork

Massachusetts colleges and universities are doubling down on guidance to international students in the wake of immigration-related executive actions from the Trump administration.

Schools like Emerson College, MIT and Boston University advised international students to keep their immigration paperwork on them at all times.

“If it is not feasible to carry your original documents in routine day-to-day life, make certain to always have access to paper or electronic copies of your documents,” Emerson College posted on its website earlier this month.

Boston University last week reminded international students to “maintain a full course load of study” and to not exceed “on-campus employment restrictions.” The guidance also advised students to contact the university’s police department if approached by any law enforcement officer from outside the school.

University leaders released the guidance in response to student questions about the administration’s recent executive orders, said BU spokesman Colin Riley.

Other colleges have pointed students to legal resources — or, in the case of Amherst College, held information sessions with immigration attorneys to address students' questions.

While many of these recommendations underscore existing federal regulations, they reflect the current charged atmosphere on college campuses in today's political landscape.

Since taking office last month, President Trump has issued a series of orders and directives that relate to international students. They include promises to revoke the visas of students who participated in pro-Palestinian rallies and increase the vetting of people entering the country, as well as rescinding an earlier rule that made schools and campuses off limits to immigration enforcement activities.

The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration — a coalition of colleges that advocate for international and immigrant students —  has not heard of any instances of immigration enforcement on campuses to date, according to spokeswoman Kenia Guerrero.

Still, college leaders may not be able to prevent immigration officials from walking onto university property when campuses are open to the public, according to the nonprofit group American Council on Education.

Massachusetts is home to roughly 82,000 international students — about a fifth of the state's student body. Roughly 1% are estimated to have undocumented status.

With spring break around the corner for many universities, some international students have said they're re-thinking their travel plans.

Emerson College junior Zoe Tianxiaoyue Zong, who is from China, said she canceled a planned trip to Singapore over spring break after a professor warned that she could have difficulty getting back in the country. She’s now weighing whether to stay in the U.S. over summer break.

“It's just kind of horrifying for me to think that if I depart from the U.S., maybe I cannot come back,” Zong said. “It feels like being locked inside a country.”

“It's just kind of horrifying for me to think that if I depart from the U.S., maybe I cannot come back. It feels like being locked inside a country.”

Zoe Tianxiaoyue Zong, Emerson College junior

Michelle Gaseau, a spokesperson for Emerson, said guidance to carry all immigration paperwork is "not new" and that officials "review this requirement during orientation and at other times."

The school's website reassured students that some new orders issued by the Trump administration — including those relating to stricter border controls or tougher rules around visa applicants — may not be enforced as written, especially if they face legal challenges.

“We acknowledge the emotional toll that many of these executive actions may have on members of Emerson’s international community and are committed to providing continued holistic support to our students and alumni,” its website states.

Federal statute requires adults over the age of 18 who are not from the U.S. to carry evidence of their lawful status. But Jessica Chicco, director of training at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, discourages messaging that suggests school or other leaders "normalize ... a society where we think it’s okay for people to be asked for documentation on the street."

“There's certainly no law that requires U.S. citizens to walk around with evidence of their citizenship,” Chicco said. “I certainly don't walk around with any evidence of my citizenship.”

It can be safer to carry around copies of immigration papers and passports rather than the originals so that they don’t get lost, Chicco added.

And if an immigration officer questions a student about their status, Chicco said, the student generally does not have to respond.

“There are many people who may not have lawful status or many people who are U.S. citizens that would not be in a position to provide those documents,” she said. “That's where the right to remain silent and simply asking if you're free to leave is really important.”