Ahmed Elghriany and his wife have been in the United States since 2008 on student visas, but he said they do not dare try to go back to their homeland of Libya at this time.
Three of their five children are U.S. citizens, because they were born in the United States. The other two were born in Libya and, like their parents, are not U.S. citizens.
Libya is among seven Muslim-majority countries listed in a temporarily travel ban in President Trump’s recent executive order.
“You have to be in good status to remain in the United States. I have several degrees, and have applied for another master’s degree program,” he said. “We are both graduate students at the University of Akron. We cannot go back.”
Elghriany was among about 150 students, faculty and community members who attended an informational session about recent national immigration developments held Friday at UA’s student union theater.
The forum was also streamlined live via Facebook and got more than 5,000 hits. Several questions were also taken via Facebook.
The event was hosted by UA President Matthew Wilson and UA professor Elizabeth Knowles, an expert in immigration law who serves as the director of UA’s Immigration & Human Rights Clinic.
UA has a total of 1,393 international and permanent resident status students, and 88 of the students are from those seven countries with travel bans.
“We’re not providing legal advice, but we’re providing legal information and can direct you to people who can give you legal advice,” Wilson said. “We’re not going to be political, but on both sides of the aisle they said the roll out of the executive order was clumsy, confusing and even hurtful.”
He said he has spoken with two UA international students who are stuck out of the country because of the executive order. Wilson said he’s trying to work on a plan that will help them complete their academic degrees. He’s also working on what the university can do for them as far as their personal items in case they can’t get back soon.
One faculty member in the audience, Petra Gruber, an associate professor at UA, is from Austria, and her husband is from Ethiopia. She said her husband has to travel to Ethiopia soon on family business and is afraid he may not be able to return. Neither has a green card.
Knowles said the executive order only addresses travel by refugees and those who are coming from the seven identified countries and could not speculate on the future. She gave the basics of the executive order and made one clear suggestion.
“Do not travel outside of the United States at this time, and if you do have to travel, consult with an immigration attorney first before departing,” she told the audience. “There are already 13 suits filed, temporary restraining orders, on constitutional issues, individual due process rights violated and discrimination against national religion and race. I’m sure more will follow.”
Wilson said UA still is moving ahead aggressively with its international student recruitment and plans to open an International Center on campus.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com or Follow her on Twitter@MarilynMillerBJ.