used for the next five years,
provided by Axon Enterprise,
Inc.
City Councilmember Kathy
Griswold, D-Ward 2, pointed
to the benefits of equipping the
city’s police force with more
state-of-the-art accountability
technology.
“I am absolutely thrilled we
are moving forward with this
purchase,” Griswold said. “My
one question is, this is a five-
year contract — will this see
enough money and does the
contract stipulate that we are
going to have fully functioning
body cams for the full length of
the five years so that we don’t
have the problem that we face
right now?”
Taylor
later
brought
the council’s focus to the
expansion of legal access to
marijuana in the city. Members
of
the
council
expressed
considerable
disagreement
about
the
flexibility
and
general size of the limit on the
number of medical marijuana
permits in the city.
Councilmember
Jane
Lumm, I-Ward 2, said she was
concerned about not having
enough time to approve new
ordinances
expanding
the
amount of permits for medical
marijuana facilities in the city.
“I think it’s too much to digest
in too short a time,” Lumm
said. “The council did not have
our normal opportunity to ask
questions; our questions have
to be submitted by noon on
Wednesday. We received this
late, at the end of the day on
Friday.”
Councilmember
Jeff
Hayner, D-Ward 1, said some
constituents indicated concern
about
the
large
amount
of
marijuana
investment
potentially overwhelming the
city and crowding out small
businesses
offering
other
goods.
“I’m suggesting that we put
a limit on this and … we can
always come back and change
it,” Hayner said.
But
Councilmember
Ali
Ramlawi, D-Ward 5, voiced a
general
skepticism
towards
creating inflexible types of
limits on the amount of medical
marijuana permits offered.
“Maybe
you
want
more
safety compliance facilities …
or you need fewer growers or
more processors … the straight-
across
three-dozen
(limit)
under
all
these
categories
I think is too inhibitive,”
Ramlawi said.
VISA
From Page 1
Students said this processing
lengthened the application process
and kept them from attending the
University this semester.
Students
interviewed
also
pointed to the trade war between
China and the United States as
a possible factor in influencing
their delays as students from
various areas of China. The trade
war has had a noticeable impact
on oil prices and imports from
China, and it has left students
accepted to U.S. institutions
unable to begin their studies as
the world’s two largest economies
face off.
A
confusing
application
process
John came to his visa interview
ready to tell his interviewer
about the program he planned to
attend in the University’s College
of Engineering, but he was only
asked about its geographical
location and prior leadership
experience. Three months later,
after what he felt was an unusually
short interview, he remains on
administrative processing — or a
“check,” as he and other Chinese
students commonly refer to the
heightened background check.
“I feel confused,” he said.
“I heard about administrative
processing. In China, we call it a
‘check’ because it’s a process for
checking your background.”
The delay has also created
difficulties
for
his
program
coordinator at the University,
who he noted has been helpful
throughout this process. John
is
specifically
interested
in
studying in the U.S. because of its
advanced technology.
John
said
he
and
other
students in similar situations
have attempted to contact the
State
Department,
but
have
consistently
been
met
with
surface-level responses. He said
he feels frustrated with the lack
of communication from the U.S.
government, even if it is for noble
reasons.
“We send some emails to the
(State Department) office, but
we just receive some template,”
he said. “What I want to know
is why this processing is really,
really long ... I can accept it if it’s
related to national security, but I
think that I need a reason.”
Additionally, he noted the
trade war may be a reason for his
delay. John said the relationship
between China and America has
only recently become hostile and
is hopeful it can be rectified in
the near future.
“If we consider the long period
of relationship between China
and America, I think peace is the
main part of that,” he said. “The
tradewar is just a fluctuation — a
short period. Unfortunately, we
made it and we are influenced by
it.”
John is optimistic he will
have a visa before the Winter
2020 semester begins. In the
meantime, he is looking for jobs
related to his program of study in
China.
While he said he felt worried
when he first received the news of
the delay, John said finding other
opportunities to fill what would
have been his first semester of
graduate school has kept his
mind focused elsewhere.
“At first, (I felt) anxiety and
felt nervous, but after a long time,
you feel calm and prepare for
other things to fill this period,”
John said. “For now, we just need
a strong mind to solve it and to
deal with it by ourselves.”
Feeling left behind
Sue
said
she
underwent
intense
preparation
before
applying to the University for
her master’s degree, even hiring
a service to help her prepare for
her visa interview. She turned in
all materials necessary to apply
for her visa 120 days in advance
to ensure there would be no
issues, she told The Daily.
During
her
application
interview, Sue said she was asked
basic
information
about
the
program she planned to enroll
at the University. After sharing
her plan, the interviewer told Sue
there would be a check on her visa
application and she would have to
wait for it to be approved before
coming to the United States.
“I thought it would be fine,”
Sue said. “But I didn’t realize
that there would be something
about the abnormal delay of the
delivered check … I can’t get the
education and program now.”
When Sue learned her visa
application had been delayed, she
contacted the Chinese embassy
by email and the United States
State Department by telephone.
Like John, Sue said she received
template responses back that
were not relevant to her specific
case.
Sue
said
the
University
provided comforting responses
and acknowledged the issue
stems from the government and
not the University.
“The responses from them
did not focus on my case, they
just replied to everyone with the
same situation, responded with
the same content,” Sue said. “I
also contacted the University, but
I don’t think the International
Center can do something about
this.”
Following her delayed visa,
Sue made the decision to continue
to pursue her master’s degree
at a school in China while she
awaits a decision from the State
Department.
Sue said she longed to receive
an education in the culture of
U.S. classrooms. She planned to
continue into a Ph.D. program in
the United States after finishing
her master’s at the University, but
her education and career plans
have now drastically changed.
“Why I chose to (apply to
Michigan) is because I disliked
the environment in China, so
I hope to change (my learning
environment),” Sue said. “But if
I can’t, I may have to stay here,
although I feel unsatisfied with
that.”
Sue’s situation also had a
serious impact on her social
interactions.
She
chose
to
delete WeChat, a popular social
networking
application
in
China, to avoid talking about her
circumstances. Now, Sue feels
left behind and unsure of what
her future holds. She said she
feels embarrassed by the delay,
even though it’s out of her hands.
“I chose to lose contact with
my friends,” Sue said. “I changed
my
WeChat
social
network
because I just don’t want to tell
them my situation. And I don’t
want to always see some friends
go abroad or to go to another
state and go live the life that I
really wanted to live. So it makes
me feel very lonely. Now, I don’t
want to face (my) situation.”
Unable to return
Bob completed his bachelor’s
degree at a university in China
and his master’s degree at a
university in the United States.
He looked forward to continuing
his education through a Ph.D.
program at Michigan, but during
his visa interview in June — three
days after he returned to China
from his master’s program in the
U.S. — Bob learned his visa was
delayed.
“I’m very frustrated,” Bob said.
“I spent so much effort and put
all my enthusiasm in the Ph.D.
application. And after several
months of waiting, I apply for the
visa, but the United States doesn’t
allow me to enter this state to
receive my education. It’s really
frustrating and disappointing.”
After learning of his delayed
visa, Bob said he contacted Rep.
Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor,
who he said told him she would
be unable to help because he is
not an Ann Arbor resident.
Dingell’s
spokeswoman,
Maggie Rousseau, wrote in an
email to The Daily that Dingell
and her office try to help every
person
that
calls
needing
assistance navigating the visa
application process.
“In recent years, it has been
made
very
difficult
by
the
Administration’s tightening of
applications,” Rousseau wrote.
“Mrs. Dingell has made it clear
she will go to bat for any students
having visa problems. She has
spoken to the University about
bringing cases to our attention
that need assistance navigating
the complicated process.”
Bob
also
contacted
the
University’s program coordinator
and the international office at
Rackham Graduate School. They
were also unable to help as the
visa process is handled by the
Department of State.
When previously applying for
his visa to earn his master’s in the
United States about a year and a
half ago, Bob said his application
underwent a short administrative
process and was approved in one
month. That visa was only valid
for one year, though.
“This is part of a problem
because the program we are going
to receive is usually longer than
one year, but the visa is only valid
for one year,” Bob said. “After
the visa expires, we cannot go
out of the United States and can’t
come back, which means that we
cannot attend the international
conference, we cannot go back to
our country and reunite with our
families. That limits our access to
many resources.”
Like John and Sue, Bob
remains optimistic his visa will
be approved before the beginning
of the Winter 2020 semester. He
said he has been in contact with
the professor that he would
be doing research with at the
University since March.
“The professor and me are
very excited for the future
research, and we have been on
Skype meetings,” Bob said. “But
because of this visa issue, we
are all very disappointed and we
have to wait with it for another
three months to start our new
research.”
If the visa situation remains
the same, Bob said he may decide
to continue his studies at a
Chinese university. Because his
family lives in China, Bob said it
would be easier to visit them than
if he was studying in the United
States.
Bob said he’s received cookie-
cutter responses from the State
Department similar to those
John and Sue described. He said
the State Department sent a
formal and unhelpful reply that
explained
the
administrative
process would take 120 days
about 95 days ago.
“I think this issue is not
beneficial for anyone — not for
the United States, not for China,
not for students, not for the
University,” Bob said. “I really
don’t
understand
(it).
There
are many disadvantages for us,
as we delay our education and
research.”
Delay impacts
In
February,
the
State
Department
extended
the
timeline
for
administrative
processing
from
30
to
180
days. The State Department
spokesperson emphasized the
department’s focus on security
while
also
acknowledging
the department respects the
timelines of applicants in an
email to The Daily.
“National security is our top
priority when adjudicating visa
applications,” the spokesperson
wrote. “Every visa decision is
a national security decision,
and every prospective traveler
to the United States undergoes
extensive security screening. At
the same time, we’re committed
to providing the highest quality
service to legitimate travelers -
who constitute the overwhelming
majority of our visa applicants
- so they can receive swift,
thorough, and clear decisions
regarding their visa application.”
There has been a decline in the
number of visas administered in
recent years, from over 644,000
students on the F1 academic
visa in 2015 to approximately
362,000 in 2018. In the last
decade, the number of Chinese
students studying in the U.S. has
quadrupled to a high of more
than 360,000. More than one
million international students
are currently studying in the U.S.
According
to
Broekhuizen,
the University has not been
impacted
as
drastically
as
other institutions. While the
University has no control over
administrative processing, she
also noted affected students do
have access to the University’s
Student Legal Services, though a
lawyer in the U.S. may not be able
to help.
She recommended students
impacted stay in touch with the
International Center and their
academic unit.
Chinese
students
account
for approximately half of the
University’s
international
student population. A 2018 report
from the International Center
found
international
students
accounted for 14.9 percent of the
student body that year.
In a tweet posted June 27,
University
President
Mark
Schlissel shared a letter from the
president of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology titled
“Letter to the MIT community:
Immigration is a kind of oxygen.”
Schlissel wrote in the tweet
that while he is “concerned
about
national
security,
our
international
students,
faculty
and
staff
contribute
immeasurably to the success of
@umich and we offer them our
friendship and support.”
Three weeks ago, Harvard
University’s student newspaper,
The
Crimson,
reported
an
incoming
freshman
had
his
visa revoked after arriving in
Boston and was then deported.
Following the initial article, the
student’s story was featured
in national news and he was
permitted to enter the U.S. and
begin schooling.However, the
three students interviewed by
The Daily have not found similar
resolutions.
LSA
junior
Jiaheng
He,
co-president
of
the
Chinese
Students
and
Scholars
Association, said he was aware
of multiple students who were
unable to begin classes this
semester because of visa delays.
He, an international student
himself, said the delays hurt the
University’s status as a leading
global institution.
“At Michigan, we are so proud
of ourselves as the ‘Leaders
and Best’ because we are able
to attract so many scholars and
students from all around the
world to gather together and
share their opinions,” he said.
“But with the visa issue, there’s
additional difficulty for us to
get to the schools — not just for
Chinese students, but for all
the international students and
scholars. It’s actually discouraged
students from all around the
world from coming to Michigan
and share their opinions, so it’s
not helpful for our diversity.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 — 3
CITY COUNCIL
From Page 1
“The report notes that faculty
should not help students pursue
educational
or
professional
opportunities
because
they
approve
of
that
student’s
politics,” Levitsky said. “And
again, they can’t refuse to
help because they politically
disapprove. Finally, the report
reminds us that it has never been
the case that academic freedom
is absolute. This is actually true
for all freedoms in this country.
No freedom is absolute.”
The report explained the
University has a responsibility
to maintain academic integrity
by treating faculty equally when
it comes to political ideologies
as well.
“The
report
emphasizes
that just as a faculty member
cannot justify treating a student
badly because of disagreements
about political views, so too
the University cannot treat a
faculty member badly because
of disagreements about political
views,” Levitsky said. “Nor may
the University make decisions
based on pressure from outside
the University, something that
was an issue in the case last
year.”
Following
Levitsky’s
overview, the eight attending
graduate
students
had
a
moderated,
confidential
discussion
about
how
the
guidelines would impact them
both as students and as graduate
student instructors. Rackham
assistant
dean
Ethriam
Brammer said the purpose of
the Rackham’s town hall was to
hear how the report and policies
would impact graduate students
specifically.
Graduate students, Brammer
said, have a dynamic position
on campus because they are
students but often employees
as well. Because of this, the
report and proposed policies
would affect them in multiple
positions.
“They have multiple roles, it’s
multi-faceted,” Brammer said.
“In the case of writing letters of
recommendation, for example,
they’ll both need letters of
recommendation to continue in
their career, but they’ll often
be asked to write letters of
recommendation. We’re hoping
that the graduate students are
clear on what the principles are
from the Blue Ribbon report,
how that impacts them on their
day to day responsibilities, but
most importantly to see what
their perspectives are regarding
the report.
Following
the
discussion,
Social Work student Lauren
Fine said though the report was
a step in the right direction, its
policy proposals still remained
unclear,
particularly
when
applied to GSIs.
“I was glad to see that they did
have a focus on responsibility
to the student because that’s
really important and one of the
biggest questions that arises
from this issue,” she said. “But I
also was interested to see that it
was pretty vague when it came
to how to handle writing letters
of recommendation if you have
a specific political stance … they
ended up with a pretty vague set
of ideas that might help guide a
GSI in making a decision but
also might leave some questions
unanswered.”
Fine is not a GSI and said
hearing from fellow graduate
students who were GSIs helped
her understand why the report
was so unclear in whether or not
GSIs would be held to the same
standard as faculty members,
especially
with
regards
to
letters of recommendation.
“There was the question of
if GSIs are held to the same
standards after their contracts
are over, if a student approaches
them for a recommendation
after the fact, what’s their
responsibility then?” Fine said.
“I hope that they’re able to
clarify some of these policies
so that GSIs can make informed
decisions about writing letters
of recommendation.”
BLUE RIBBON
From Page 1
But, it was a marker of his intention
to engage seriously in the subject
matter. Dead center, straight up.
He cared about it deeply.”
Amash cites the Constitution as
the cornerstone of his philosophy
as a public servant. He discusses
how there were several instances
when he as a conservative, could
not vote for specific bills that he
supported ideologically because
they infringed the Constitution.
“My
dedication
to
the
Constitution is what I am best
known for in Congress,” Amash
said. “In eight and a half years
there, I have had to oppose
countless
bills
that
had
no
constitutional basis, or violated
a constitutional provision. In
many instances, I supported the
bill’s policy changes but could
not support the bill because of
constitutional issues.”
Amash
recalled
when
House Republicans introduced
the National Right to Carry
Reciprocity Act in 2011, which
would allow nonresidents of a
state to carry concealed weapons
in that state. Amash noted that
while he supports the right to
carry permit reciprocity, he could
not support the bill because there
is no constitutional basis.
“I opposed the bill because it
was drafted specifically to rely
on the commerce clause. Private
individuals
carrying
firearms
isn’t commerce,” Amash said. “So
this law can not be passed using
Congress’s authority to regulate
interstate commerce.”
When the lecture opened to
a question and answer portion,
Amash
detailed
his
various
grievances
with
the
political
stagnation.
Earlier
this
year,
Amash left the Republican Party
and cited growing partisanship
as his reason for leaving the two-
party system.
“A lot of my colleagues who got
frustrated just left, you know?”
Amash said. “They gave up. They
were tired. I’m sure you see it in
the news all the time. They all
pretend it’s a family consideration
but they are really sick of the
president in many cases.
Amash cited his disillusion with
the lack of legislation being passed
and how the Republican Party no
longer represents his ideologies.
“I went to Congress with the
idea that we would change things
incrementally, that I would go
in there revive the Republican
Party and turn it into a party that
cares about liberty and process
and cares about our constitution,”
Amash said. “But I found that it’s
just impossible, and that it can’t be
changed anymore.”
Amash was the only Republican
in the House of Representatives
to call for President Trump’s
impeachment. He notes how every
term has predictable obstacles
with the same solutions that rarely
provide long term and constructive
solutions.
“More than it used to be it’s
political theatre,” Amash said. “It
operates largely as performance
art. When I look back on a term
I kind of know how each term is
going to go. Like at some point …
there’s going to be a government
shutdown. Then, the president
and the two leaders come to some
sort of compromise. And at the
end of the year, very little happens
legislatively
except
another
omnibus bill is passed, more
money is spent.”
Amash left the audience with a
parting message to remind people
of the fragility of the American
democratic system.
“I came here partly to give you a
grim perspective,” Amash said. “I
don’t think it’s good for people to
think it works like you know ‘I’m
just a bill’. It’s not ‘Schoolhouse
Rock.’ It doesn’t work that way. We
need to be frightened, we need to
be worried about it.”
While
Amash
may
have
intended to leave his audience
worried for the future of a
democratic
government,
his
lecture inspired LSA freshman
Charles Hilu.
“I think this supplemented
a love for the Constitution that
I already have and more food
for thought in terms of the
constitutional questions in our
current political systems,” Hilu
said.
Law School student Ameya
Gehi also said she was surprised
by how candid Amash in regards
with all of the behind the scenes
politics.
“I think he was really principled
and I was surprised on how honest
he was about saying whether
he
thought
something
was
constitutional or not,” Gehi said.
“He wasn’t scared about being
transparent about what goes on in
the bill making process.”
AMASH
From Page 1