The Office of International Student Affairs has created a support card to remind students with F-1 visa status — a non-immigrant status for those pursuing academic studies or language training — about their lawful presence in case of difficult encounters with law enforcement or immigration authorities. Designed to fit easily in a wallet, the white card offers reminders and also includes contact information for the Office of International Student Affairs staff. The cards are available at the Office of International Student Affairs and several other campus spaces, alongside the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s red “Know Your Rights” cards.
“It has always been important to know your rights,” said Karen Edwards, dean of International Student Affairs, emphasizing the importance of awareness for non-citizens. She specifically outlined that F-1 visa holders are allowed by their Duration of Status benefits to remain in the U.S. lawfully for the duration of their academic program, which is indicated in their I-20 and I-94 form, even if their F-1 visa has expired.
The white card advises F-1 visa holders to carry their “grey passport sleeve” — a gift they received during the International Pre-Orientation Program — at all times, which contains their valid passport, I-20 and their current I-94, which must be re-printed every time they enter or re-enter the U.S. In case of being approached by police or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Know Your Rights cards remind students to remain calm, avoid confrontation, not run or lie and be prepared to present a Real ID along with documents confirming their student status. All persons, including non-citizens, have the right to refuse a search of themself, their car or their residence hall in the absence of a judicial warrant, the right to remain silent until consulting an attorney and the right to call their home country’s consulate. On campus, the Office of Campus Safety is the first point of referral for any campus visitors, since they have training to review and vet a judicial warrant.
The current political climate, according to Edwards, has reinforced the need for all persons, regardless of citizenship or status, to be aware of their rights and follow procedures that increase the safety of the community. She encouraged everyone to review or carry the Office of International Student Affairs’s F-1 card and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s red card. She also emphasized the importance of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protections that apply to all Grinnell students. “Everyone should review their rights, and think about it, and build confidence in it. Knowledge is power,” said Edwards.
