President Trump signed amendments to  into law on Jan. 29, requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain individuals unlawfully present in the United States who have been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or have admitted to having committed acts of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. These offenses are in addition to any “assault of a law enforcement officer offense or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person.”

See the frequently asked questions (FAQ) below for details about this new law and any impact on international students and scholars at CU Boulder. Please note that FAQs are based on the currently available information in and related to the law.

Frequently Asked Questions

The effective date of the law is Jan. 29.

The new law only applies to individuals who do not have lawful U.S. immigration status or did not have the appropriate immigration documents when they applied to be admitted to the U.S. It does not apply to individuals who have lawful immigration status (such as F-1, J-1, or H-1B status) and used appropriate immigration documents when they entered the United States.

For any criminal charges or arrests, ISSS always advises that the international student or scholar hire an immigration attorney to provide legal advice. Student Legal Services on campus provides to students only limited legal advice regarding immigration matters and legal consultations and representation for some criminal defense issues. ISSS is not able to provide advice regarding personal matters including those related to criminal charges or arrests.

of the act is posted on the .

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

We want you to feel supported, safe, and comfortable during your time at CU Boulder and in the United States. If you need to talk or have any questions, we are here for you. ISSS offers walk-in and remote advising. You can also reach us via our general email account isss@colorado.edu or by phone at 303-492-8057 during normal office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For our sponsored students, ISSS offers specific walk-in and remote advising and our Sponsored Student Advising team can be reached directly at sponsoredadvising@colorado.edu.

Campus Resources

ISSS wants you to know you can always talk to us or use the other resources on campus. Here are some resources we recommend:

• Students: Use our friendly campus counseling services to talk through feelings of anxiety, loneliness, stress, or just to have someone supportive to talk to.
• Faculty and Staff: Reach out to the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program to set up a time to chat with a trained counselor.

We are glad that you have chosen to be a part of the CU Boulder community. ISSS is here to assist you so please reach out to us if you need anything.

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Presidential Executive Order Establishing Enhanced Vetting and Screening of Individuals Seeking U.S. Immigration Benefits

President Trump issued an  on Jan. 20 instituting increased review of applications for U.S. immigration benefits including visas and admission to the United States.

See the frequently asked questions (FAQ) below for details about this new requirement. Please note that FAQs are based on the currently available information in and related to the proclamation.    

Frequently Asked Questions

The effective date of the executive order was Jan. 20.

The new restriction applies to any individual (foreign national) who applies for a U.S. immigration benefit such as but not limited to visas, admission (entry) to the United States, permanent residency “green card” applications, petitions for non-immigrant temporary status, etc. It does not apply to U.S. citizens. 

No. The executive order does not implement a travel ban. However, it requires that, within 60 days, a report be submitted to the president identifying countries whose citizens should be subject to a full or partial ban on entering the United States.

To carry out the executive order, federal agencies will likely scrutinize all applications more which will slow down the process. There may be delays as well when seeking to be admitted to the United States at the airports or land borders.

No. The new restriction does not require anyone in the United States to depart. The restrictions do not affect the immigration status for those who are already present in the United States. The U.S. government will not ask them to leave the country if they maintain their current immigration status. 

The text of the  is posted on the  in the “Executive Actions” section under “Presidential Actions.”

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

We want you to feel supported, safe, and comfortable during your time at CU Boulder and in the United States. If you need to talk or have any questions, we are here for you. ISSS offers walk-in and remote advising. You can also reach us via our general email account isss@colorado.edu or by phone at 303-492-8057 during normal office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For our sponsored students, ISSS offers specific walk-in and remote advising and our Sponsored Student Advising team can be reached directly at sponsoredadvising@colorado.edu.

Campus Resources

ISSS wants you to know you can always talk to us or use the other resources on campus. Here are some resources we recommend:

• Students: Use our friendly campus counseling services to talk through feelings of anxiety, loneliness, stress, or just to have someone supportive to talk to.
• Faculty and Staff: Reach out to the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program to set up a time to chat with a trained counselor.

We are glad that you have chosen to be a part of the CU Boulder community. ISSS is here to assist you so please reach out to us if you need anything.

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