This was just sent around on a staff channel: https://www.umass.edu/news/federal-actions/april6_clarification
Facts matter. And we want you to know them.
To be crystal clear, UMass Amherst did not play any role in the federal administration’s unilateral action in terminating the status of our UMass Amherst students. In each of the cases in which the federal government revoked the visas and terminated the non-immigrant statuses of UMass Amherst students, UMass Amherst was not asked for information in advance by the federal government, did not provide information concerning the revocations to the federal government, and was not notified by the federal government of these status terminations. UMass Amherst became aware of revocations and terminations over the last several days simultaneously with institutions across the Commonwealth and the nation, who began reporting similar revocations and terminations impacting the immigration statuses of their students. Since learning of this information, the UMass Amherst Office of Global Programs has been proactively monitoring the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) in order to ensure students are aware of any changes in their immigration status or their right to be in the United States. Until now, the University has never needed to check SEVIS in this manner. We are proactively offering support and resources to those affected by the federal government’s unilateral action, as Chancellor Reyes stated on Friday, April 4.
UMass Amherst has no evidence that information it was required to provide to the Department of Education in the course of any complaint process in this or any previous administration has any relationship to any revocation and/or termination impacting the immigration statuses of any UMass Amherst student.
Department of Education complaint processes have taken place in all federal administrations and usually result when an individual complains to the Department of Education that they have been subject to discriminatory treatment, either as the subject of discipline or because they think someone else should have been subject to different or more discipline as a result of their actions against the individual complaining. UMass Amherst has and will continue to abide by the law in responding to such complaints.
Recent reporting by an online publication insinuating any other circumstance is, put simply, not correct and irresponsible. UMass Amherst is not aware of any connection between the Department of State’s revocation of student visas, the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of student immigration statuses and any Department of Education complaint to which UMass responded. In all cases, UMass Amherst will always protect student information in accordance with federal law.