Dear Rutgers University – Newark community members,
As an academic community that strongly embraces our enduring legacy as a place of opportunity for students, faculty, and staff who are are first-generation Americans or citizens of nations from every corner of our world, representing a panoply of faiths, many among us already are expressing serious concern about changes to immigration policies that have been put into place over the past 24 hours. While legal experts are still interpreting precisely what the consequences of these policies will be, I write first and foremost to say to all members of our community affected directly or indirectly by the uncertainties resulting from these sudden policy changes: we support you. And I urge all members of the Rutgers University – Newark family to reach out and support each other in this time of uncertainty.
Members of our university family already are working actively in partnership with others across sectors to bring their collective expertise to bear on the questions and challenges emerging over the policy changes. An example is that the Rutgers Law School Constitutional Rights Clinic here in Newark is collaborating with other legal advocates on the role they may play. More immediately, the law school’s Immigrant Rights Clinic is planning a session for later this week for members of our community who are seeking clarity on the possible consequences of the executive action announced yesterday. We will announce the timing of that meeting as soon as we have details.
We have such a beautiful diversity of people at Rutgers-Newark and are widely recognized for it, but that is not our greatest strength, in and of itself. Our greatest strength is that in our diverse community we are committed to each other, working hard day in and day out in common cause on so many of the greatest challenges facing our world and working equally hard to come together across what differences we have from one another. Let each of us and all of us make this a moment when we dig deep intellectually and emotionally to be and do the best we can for each other.
In solidarity,
Nancy Cantor, Chancellor
