In response to the presidential administration’s travel ban on refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, Fr. McShane sent a letter to the Fordham community in support of refugees, immigrants, and undocumented students. We at Fordham Campus Ministry stand in solidarity with this message of tolerance, especially during the sacred season of Lent. The full text of Fr. McShane’s letter is copied below and available at Fordham News. Please feel free to reach out to anyone here in Campus Ministry during this tumultuous time.
Dear Members of the Fordham Family,
As I’m sure you are aware, President Trump’s executive order on refugees and immigration has shocked and unsettled many Americans. Last night a federal judge issued a temporary stay suspending implementation of the order, but to say that the landscape is unsettled for those seeking refuge in the United States would be a vast understatement.
We have identified at least seven students who may be affected by the current order, and we have reached out to them to offer support and advice. While we struggle to understand the shifting legal landscape, we have created an information page that may be of some help: Resources for Undocumented Students (DACA)
Though we do not know the ultimate outcome of the president’s order (nor subsequent orders and legislation), please be assured that Fordham University stands with the tens of thousands of refugees and would-be immigrants affected by these laws. We have a long history as a University of and for immigrants, in a city and a nation built by immigrants.
I know the Fordham Community joins me in keeping the refugees and immigrants of all nations in our thoughts and prayers today.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.
Read more from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities here at the Ignatian Solidarity Network.