PROTECT US!

President David Dooley, University of Rhode Island

Sign this petition to let President Dooley know that you are concerned for the safety of the URI community and show your support by urging him to protect student identities, immigration status, and visa information. Insist President Dooley RESISTS rather than complies with unjust demands to persecute our diverse community.

To: President David Dooley, University of Rhode Island
From: [Your Name]

January 30, 2017

Dear President Dooley,

Earlier today, your office released a letter to the University of Rhode Island community acknowledging the climate of fear and uncertainty resulting from President Trump's recent executive action on immigration. Immigrants and refugees from targeted countries, as well as those of the Muslim faith, have come to believe their community and their country do not care for them. Your office noted in Monday's letter that the University of Rhode Island remains committed to its diversity as part of the longtime mission of the school, here in the school’s 125th year.

On behalf of students both graduate and undergraduate, we must insist that this statement of solidarity goes further than noting the University’s strengths. We ask that the University commit to real action to ensure student safety. We are particularly concerned that the letter alleges that URI will abide by any federal, state, or local laws while simultaneously upholding the interests and safety of its student body. Such a commitment is impossible when federal law now may request records on student immigration status from universities nationwide. We need to know where the President of the University stands on this issue.

At this time of crisis, we must not only actively voice support for the most vulnerable members of our community, but also follow through on such support with a commitment to action. We entreat the URI administration to commit to two acts:

1) Publicly state the University will shield student identities, immigration status, and visa information, as other state universities have done including the University of Michigan, the University of Missouri, and the University of Texas at Austin;

2) Publicly state the University will actively condemn, and ensure swift handling of any cases of racism, intimidation, profiling, or harassment involving the student body.

As your letter notes, President Dooley, students are indeed scared. An undergraduate from Syria wonders what will become of her student visa, and a graduate student from Iran is anxious about the narrowing opportunities to complete his degree.

The time for action is now, and we look to our University leadership to set the example.