UAW 4811 Statement on Attacks against International Scholars

The Trump Administration’s visa revocations, targeted arrests, and ‘round-ups’ of international scholars perpetrated is an attack on academic freedom, free speech, and labor. Already, over 90 immigrant scholars and recent graduates at the University of California have had their visas revoked, with hundreds more facing similar consequences around the country. These actions threaten international scholars with deportation – either self-imposed or forced – and risk tearing apart families and the foundation upon which academia, scientific research, and higher education rest. In unequivocal terms, the members of UAW 4811 stand against the Trump Administration’s targeting of international coworkers, students, and community members, and we will do everything in our power to defeat these tactics and protect immigrant scholars. The Trump Administration is attempting to scare international scholars into submission—but foreign and domestic academic workers are determined to resist these fear tactics, continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder, and stop this reckless attempt to target immigrant scholars, divide the working class on the basis of nationality, and attack higher education. We call on the UC administration and all lawmakers, both at the state and federal levels, to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and legal status of international scholars and workers. If you are an international scholar and are experiencing an unexpected change in immigration status or any other immigration-related emergency, please call 888-416-2110 to access legal resources provided by our union.