Non-Citizen Student Workers

Across the country, immigrants’ rights are under attack — something we’ve seen first hand at Columbia. While our employer claims to protect non-citizen students, it’s clear that it’s up to us to stand up for our community. Here’s what our next contract proposes:

Our articles:

  • Non-Citizen Student Workers (renamed Article 26, International Student Employees)

What we’re trying to fix:

  • Since Trump took office in the beginning of 2025, non-citizens have been a consistent target, including non-citizen student workers. Mahmoud Khalil (SIPA ‘24) was legally detained by DHS officers in a Columbia Residential building, Ranjani Srinivasan (GSAPP ‘27) was forced to flee the country after threats from ICE, and Mohsen Madhawi (GS ‘25) was illegally detained by ICE at his citizenship interview in Vermont. In addition, around 6000 student visas were revoked by the Trump administration for minor offences. Our contract currently does not address these issues, and Columbia has not provided any additional support other than the summer hardship fund, which many non-citizen student workers were not able to take advantage of. All of this is in addition to the struggles many non-citizen students already face such as costs related to visa and paperwork processing and insecurities around work authorization.

What we want to win:

  • Minimal-legal sharing: Ensure that international student information is not shared with the Department of Homeland Security beyond what is legally required

  • Establish Columbia as a “Sanctuary Campus”

  • Protect international student jobs and do everything possible to help international students facing issues entering the US or facing deportation threats

  • Academic continuity: In the case that an international student cannot stay in the US, Columbia will make accommodations to ensure that they are still able to complete their work and work towards their degree

  •  Additional resources for international students

    • Columbia will provide an immigration lawyer and an accountant available to all international students free of charge

    • English Language Learners (ELL) services will also be available to international students and dependents free of charge

    • The University will reimburse any associated international student fees, and will establish a hardship fund for international students facing financial burden

    • International students will be allowed to use the full 12 months of CPT allotted to them by USCIS

    • Flights will be reimbursed for international students who have to return home (or to a safe third location)