Highline’s Global Student Alliance (GSA) is reaching out to all international students to raise their voices and write to local congress representatives regarding ongoing issues facing the international student community. 

With this campaign the GSA’s drive is to focus directly on international students. Due to the specific and special strain they have faced this quarter (and in ones previous), they are hoping to allow a space for international students to air out concerns, grievances, and real fears. 

“We want to make sure [international students] know …they are included, and they are not alone on campus,” Linh Nguyen, GSA student staff, commented on the campaign. Being an international student herself, Nguyen knows first hand how hard these challenges are. 

“This is a tough situation we’re in right now. So we just want to have a space where people can write their own opinions, and also their hope for changes,” said Nguyen. 

Issues such as visa accessibility, ICE presences in American cities leading to illegal arrest, detainment and deportation stack the issues international students are facing. Contents of these letters are encouraged to include how students have been affected by federal measures taken against international students. 

GSA is encouraging students to write about any concerns or worries they may have. There are no minimum requirements for length or structure. If a student is struggling with what to include in their writing, the GSA is available and ready to help. The GSA is hoping to empower students to talk about this treatment in a viable approachable way.

Depending upon the student’s current mailing address, postcards will be sent to either Adam Smith (WA-09) or Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). The GSA staff is available to help students discern which official they will address in their letter.

For interested students, the GSA’s ultimate goal is clear: “We just hope we can make some changes so things will be easier,” said Nyguen. While no response has been received yet from either representative, the campaign is early and student input has been high.

In the fall quarter around 150 post cards were collected. Currently, approximately 100 postcards have been completed for the winter quarter, and this number is still counting. Postcards will most likely be sent out at the end of winter quarter, in the meantime all international students are encouraged to email gsa@highline.edu and set appointments as needed if assistance is required in completing a letter.

For more immediate concerns of safety on campus, public safety is a resource available to all students. They can be contacted at (206) 592-3218, emailed at publicsafety@highline.edu, or found at Building 6, room 104. 

For interested faculty, the GSA is able to visit classrooms directly. Given the opportunity the team is able to explain how to fill out the postcards. Students can also visit the GSA in Building 8, room 106 if they would like to fill out a card directly.