1 Chapman student affected by travel ban, unable to return after winter break

One Chapman student has been affected by the travel ban, which turns away travelers from seven countries. Graphic by Caroline Roffe

A Chapman student affected by President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order – which requires U.S. border officials to turn away travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days – was not able to return to Chapman after winter break, Director of Global Education James Coyle wrote in an email Jan. 31.

The student’s name and country of origin cannot be released due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Dean of Students Jerry Price said that although there is little the university can do to remedy the situation, there are some educational accommodations that can be made for the student, who is female and enrolled as an undergraduate in the Argyros School for Business and Economics, Coyle said.

“All we can do is minimize any negative impact here (at Chapman). We have no control over, you know, immigration policy – and certainly over airport security around the globe,” Price said.

International students are enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System when they are accepted into the U.S. college of their choice, according to the Worldwide Travel Visa Guide.

The university will then send the student an I-20 form, which proves that the student is eligible for nonimmigrant status in the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security. The university is not involved in issuing the student visa, which means that Chapman has no legal ability to bring students affected by the ban back into the U.S.

What the university can do is give the student the option to re-enroll whenever she is able, as Price noted that she is in good academic standing. The student’s classes have been dropped and she has been refunded for the upcoming semester, Price said. He added that any scholarships the student may have will not be affected by her absence this semester.

On Feb. 3, a U.S. district judge from Seattle signed a ruling to temporarily block Trump’s executive order, claiming that the order would likely cause “irreparable injury” to the public. 

The next day, the Department of Homeland Security announced that, in accordance with the ruling, it is suspending all implementation of the executive order, and inspection of travelers will continue as usual.  

Travelers from the seven countries have been able to enter the U.S. as of Friday night until at least Monday, when Trump will have the opportunity to defend his executive order to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Chapman administrators were not immediately available to comment on how the temporary ruling has affected the student’s ability to return to Chapman.

According to 2015 data from College Factual, there were 23,763 students in the U.S. from the seven countries indicated in Trump’s executive order. The majority are from Iran.

Graphic by Jamie Altman

Price said that as far as he knows, no other Chapman students have been impacted by the ban. However, he also said that the university is making preliminary plans to provide resources to students from the seven countries who may be stuck in the U.S. over the summer.

“We’re going to be developing a plan for what the needs of those students are who otherwise would go home, housing being a logical one. We’ll know more after the 90 days,” Price said. “As it is, it’s not that big a number, so barring any surprises, I’m sure we could help accommodate them.”