Glossary of Terms

Administrative Warrant
A warrant that holds little to know legal value. ICE officers cannot enter private spaces with this warrant because their own agency created it and thus, it was NOT signed by a judge.
 
Deferred Act for Childhood Arrival (DACA)
Federal immigration policy that allows children brought to the US illegally to avoid immediate deportation and receive work authorization.
 
Dignity for All Students Act
A New York State act signed into law in 2012 to provide all students, including immigrant-origin students, with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying (including cyberbullying).
 
F1 Visa
In general, ‘F’ visas are issued for academic study purposes. F1 students need to take minimum credits required for full-time students in order to maintain their visas. This visa also allows for students to be employed on campus (less than 20 hr/week).
 
H1-B Visa
A non-immigrant visa that gives US companies the ability to employee graduate-level workers in specialized fields of work such as Medicine, STEM, Finance, Accounting, Architecture, etc. This visa can last up to six years. Current US Immigration law allows for there to be 65,000 H-1B visas issued each year, with 20,00 additional visas issued to foreign students who are in graduate-level programs.
 
Humanitarian Visas
A visa that allows a person to become a lawful permanent resident because they suffered some harm or were a victim of a crime. The most common humanitarian visas include the following statuses; refugee, asylee, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioner, T visa for a victim of human trafficking, U visa for a crime victim, or special immigrant juvenile status (SIJ) for minors who have been abused, neglected or abandoned by a parent.
 
I-9 Work Authorization
Documentation that proves that one can work. This documentation is usually given to employees by one’s employer.
 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
An agency within the Department of Homeland Security whose stated mission is to “protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety.”
 
International Student
Non-immigrants who come to the United States temporarily to take classes at a U.S. University or place of higher education.
 
ITIN number
Issued to residents with foreign status and to undocumented immigrants. An ITIN is often used on tax forms as undocumented immigrants cannot be issued a social security number.
 
J1 VISA
Given to students who seek to obtain practical training in a given field that is not available in their native country in order to complete an academic program.
 
Judicial Warrant
A warrant that gives ICE officers permission to enter private spaces. This warrant is signed by a judge and includes the address of the Courthouse where it was signed.
 
Plyler v Doe
A 1982 Supreme Court ruling that established that all school-age K-12 students be afforded protections by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, regardless of immigration status. Undocumented students cannot be denied enrollment in public schools. Schools cannot ask about immigration status or social security numbers of their students and families.
 
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
Minors (21 and under) in the United States who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by one or both parents, may be eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile classification. If this classification is granted, the minor may qualify for lawful permanent residency, also known as getting a Green Card.
 
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Status granted to natives of certain countries who have experienced (1) natural disaster in the homeland or (2) ongoing conflict. TPS is available to specific countries and status is granted for a limited period of time.
 
Undocumented Student
A student in the United States without a legal immigration status. DACA students are sometimes referred to as “undocumented” though they have the right to live and work in the United States.
 
Visiting Student
A person from overseas who applies to spend a semester or a year at another University outside of their home University.