Many in the SUNY New Paltz community are deeply concerned about recent actions at the national level that impact undocumented students, immigrants and their families, and our educational mission as a public university. We share a commitment to diversity, the safety of all students, the power of education, and the importance of hearing the multiplicity of voices that a diverse community represents.

Below are links to New York State and other resources that may be useful for immigrant or undocumented students and their families, and also for LGBTQ students. Thank you to our EOP Advisors, Chief Diversity Officer, and SUNY System Administration for compiling these resources.

• https://www.suny.edu/immigration/
• https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org/search?state=NY
• https://www.ny.gov/we-are-all-immigrants/new-york-state-immigrant-resource-guide
• https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights
• https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights

SUNY Board of Trustees passed a resolution on Jan. 24, 2017 reaffirming longstanding policies and practices that support undocumented students.

Here are some key parts of the Board of Trustees resolution (full text available here):

• Continue the longstanding policy that University Police departments do not participate in enforcement of federal immigration law except under court order or other legal mandate;
• Express strong support for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals);
• Continue the longstanding practice of prohibiting discriminatory actions on the basis of protected class, including national origin;
• Continue the longstanding practice of defending privacy rights of students and requiring a subpoena, court order, search warrant or other exception to FERPA;
• Continue the longstanding practice of allowing undocumented individuals to pay resident tuition, provided criteria specified by State law are met;
• Continue the practice and policy of not considering national origin or immigration status in admissions decisions; and,
• Continue the longstanding practice of welcoming students of all religions.

In addition, the Office of the New York State Attorney General issued guidelines (full text here) for local law enforcement agencies about immigration enforcement which are in full agreement with SUNY policies.

These documents will continue to guide SUNY action – including that of SUNY New Paltz – to support students, faculty, and staff.

Presidential Communications Regarding Immigration and Campus Climate