Update to the 1/30/17 Statement on U.S. Executive Order on Restricted Travel

June 27, 2017

To the JU Community,

The Supreme Court of the United States has reinstated a portion of the U.S. Presidential Executive Order No. 13780 from March 6, 2017, pending a final decision by the Supreme Court on the matter this upcoming fall. The Executive Order is often colloquially referred to as the “travel ban.” The Executive Order suspended the entry of foreign nationals from six countries—Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen—into the United States for 90 days. Although the Supreme Court reinstated a portion of the Executive Order, the Supreme Court decided that the Executive Order does not apply to any foreign national from the designated countries who have “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” While we are still reviewing the Court's decision in detail, we do know that the Court specifically recognized that students, faculty, and lecturers from those countries that have a “bona fide relationship” with an American entity, such as JU, should not be barred from entering the United States.

The provisions of this Order may be in effect beginning 72 hours after the decision of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2017, and for 90 days thereafter.

More information on this Executive Order as it relates to higher education is available from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

If you have been impacted by the Executive Order, or if you have concerns about travel plans for yourself, your family, students or employees, please contact the following individuals or offices:

  • Students - contact either Dr. C.K. Kwai, Chief International Officer (ckwai@ju.edu), or Dr. Kristie Gover, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs (kgover1@ju.edu), or call our International Student Services Office at (904) 256-7067;
  • Faculty/Staff – contact James Williams, Director of Human Resources (jwillia@ju.edu) at (904) 256-7025.

As before, we are continuing to monitor this highly evolving situation and will keep the University community updated as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Tim Cost
President
Jacksonville University
Class of 1981


The original statement, released on January 30, 2017, is available here.