Tulane University has hired an attorney to help lead up efforts to assist international faculty and students navigate tightened immigration laws under the Trump administration.
Immigration attorney Marco Balducci has been hired through the Tulane Legal Assistance Program (TULAP) to help lead and provide consultations for staff, faculty and students who have concerns or questions regarding their immigration status. The student-run program, housed at the Tulane Law School, also provides civil and criminal assistance for the university community.
"I'm looking forward to working in an academic environment and that Tulane is being proactive to make sure that everyone in their community is feeling welcome," said Balducci, a partner with Pelton and Balducci in New Orleans.
Immigrants living, working and studying in the United States have felt the effect of tighter restrictions in the legal immigration system in the year since the Trump administration first announced its initial ban on travel from Muslim countries. The current travel ban prevents citizens of six majority-Muslim countries from traveling to the U.S. It also prevents travel and immigration by North Korean citizens and travel from certain citizens of Venezuela.
The Tulane legal service is being offered to students, faculty and staff who have been affected by the travel ban, individuals who have lapsed their visas as well as recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, more commonly known as "Dreamers."
DACA students at Tulane University will take priority since they are most at risk of losing their protected status. President Donald Trump has given Congress a March 5 deadline to determine whether to continue or end the DACA program.
Kristy Magner, director of the Tulane's Office of International Students and Scholars, said her office in general has seen more delays of between one and six months in the administrative processing of visas for students from countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"If you look at the composition of the graduate-level student body, a large percentage are international students," Magner said. "We would not be as strong as a country in terms of innovation without that student body. If we want to retain these students, faculty and staff, we need to get them good immigration advice."
Balducci, who starts Feb. 19, will not be representing people in their immigration cases, but will provide referrals depending on the type of case.
Laila Hlass, the director of Experiential Learning at Tulane Law School, noted Tulane's population of undocumented students is small, but the need for more clarity around immigration laws is surging. Hlass added the service will provide hands-on opportunities for the growing number of Tulane law students interested in exploring immigration law.
"There is a big demand among law students for work in the immigration field," Hlass said.
Maria Clark covers healthcare and immigration for NOLA.com | The Times Picayune and NOLA Mundo. Reach her at mclark@nola.com or 504.258.5306.