June 27, 2019 Dear Presidents' Alliance Member, We write to share a new Presidents' Alliance Steering Committee letter that will be sent to the Senate today as well as our broader strategy to encourage the Senate to act quickly and expeditiously to protect Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) & Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients. We also share a collective letter by thirty presidents of public and private higher education institutions in Michigan to their Congressional delegation, “expressing challenges associated with current U.S. immigration policy and administrative practice, and actions Congress can take to strengthen and streamline the foreign talent pipeline to Michigan’s higher education institutions.” Other state letters are in process as well. If you are interested in spearheading an effort in your state, NAFSA and the Presidents’ Alliance are ready to provide assistance. In Supreme Court news, the Court is expected to announce whether it will consider any of the DACA litigation cases. And, in a highly anticipated decision, the Supreme Court is expected to rule today on Department of Commerce v. New York , regarding the legality of the Department of Commerce’s decision to add a question asking about citizenship to the 2020 Census. See below for why it matters to higher education.   Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Thank you for your continued support. Miriam Feldblum, Executive Director, and Jose Magaña-Salgado, Director of Policy and Communications Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration Advocacy in the Senate for Dreamers and TPS & DED With the Dream and Promise Act of 2019 passing the U.S. House of Representatives, the Presidents’ Alliance now turns to the Senate to provide protection to Dreamers and TPS & DED recipients. To guide this campaign, the Presidents’ Alliance has developed a strategic plan to engage in Senate-related advocacy. This plan includes delivering a Steering Committee letter today in support of Senate action; collaborating with members, campuses, educational associations and other partners on specific actions; and building bipartisan relationships with Senators: June Letter to Senate Asking it to Protect Dreamers and TPS & DED Holders Senate Strategy for Dream 2019 We also have prepared short analyses of the Senate bills for your reference: Analysis of the Senate Dream Act of 2019 Analysis of the Senate Secure Act of 2019 For background: April Letter to Senate Supporting Dream Act of 2019 and SECURE Act Feel free to contact your Senator to encourage them to move forward on Dream legislation, utilizing our letter or its principles and messaging. We will update members when legislation is potentially moving through committee or on the floor and flag potential additional advocacy opportunities in the future. Speaking out in Support of International Students Earlier this week 15 public and 15 private Michigan college and university presidents sent a letter to their Congressional delegation asking for their “assistance in reducing the barriers to attracting and retaining international students, faculty, scholars, and scientists.” Among their recommendations, the delegation of schools asked Congress to protect duration of status, protect Optional Practical Training (OPT) and experiential learning opportunities for international students, reduce visa and OPT processing delays, and alleviate the increased incidence of Request for Evidence. You can read the letter here. Campus Messages in support of international students, faculty, and staff: Several presidents recently sent messages to their campuses reaffirming their institution’s commitment to the international community on their campus and the importance of remaining an open and inclusive educational environment (see, for example, messages from  Yale ,  Northwestern , and  MIT ). A campus message can also include a reminder of summer resources for international students.  Joining NAFSA’s  #YouAreWelcomeHere  campaign is another opportunity for campuses to engage in support and advocacy.

SCOTUS Census Decision: Why it matters to Higher Education

The Census, a constitutionally mandated count of all persons living in our country, happens every ten years and determines how political representation and federal funds are allocated. The addition of a citizenship question this year risks an under count of immigrant populations, with experts warning that the question will dissuade immigrants from participating. The outcome of the ongoing litigation will have consequences for higher education. We expect a decision by the Supreme Court later today and you can follow any announcements at SCOTUS Blog .   In a report released this week (that confirmed numerous concerns), Census Bureau researchers found that the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census could affect the “self-response rate,” depressing response rates by eight percent in households that have non-citizen members (compared to those with all-citizen members). The researchers predict an overall drop in self-response rates of 2.2 percent in the 2020 census, and therefore reducing the quality of the population count, related demographic statistics, and increasing the cost of the census.   An inaccurate and under reported census count adversely affects higher education in a variety of ways. A 2018 report, Why a Fair and Accurate Census Matters to Thriving Private and Public Sectors , outlined that educational research and surveys often depend on the decennial census, the ACS, and other decennial census derived sources. Education-related data from the census and ACS inform multiple decisions in the educational sector, including high school graduation and dropout rates, higher education performance indicators, educational attainment correlated with labor force trends, science and engineering workforce trends as well as funding allocations for Carl T. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act Programs, and in adult education, states use ACS data to allocate funding for adult education and literacy programs.

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