Thread by @ChrisMarsicano

Well, it finally happened. This #ICE International #StudentBan got me back into the “organizing effective lobbying action via twitter” game.

Want to make sure our lovely international students can keep their visas? Here’s how to do it:

THREAD.

thehill.com/homenews/admin…

1/14

Before we fight the #StudentBan, let me establish my credentials. I’m an expert on higher education lobbying. Just had a paper published on the subject. It is pretty good. You should check it out.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.310…

Also, I’ve done this before…

2/14

In 2017, I offered some advice in a twitter thread about how graduate students could stop the #GradStudentTax. Well, we won that battle. So, let’s buckle up and use the same principles to win this one against the #StudentBan.

https://twitter.com/ChrisMarsicano/status/931953249091022848?s=20

3/14

First, start tweeting out of your minds. Let’s call this decision what it is: a #StudentBan. Let’s get this thing trending. Stay disciplined. When you tweet, use the #StudentBan hashtag every. single. time.

4/14

Second, call your members of Congress and tell them you oppose the #StudentBan. Focus especially on members of the Judiciary Committees in the House and the Senate.

If you want to get super specific, call up the members of this House subcommittee:

judiciary.house.gov/subcommittees/…

5/14

And… call the members of this Senate subcommittee and tell them you oppose the #StudentBan:

judiciary.senate.gov/about/subcommi…

Committee members Ernst (IA), Tillis (NC) and Graham (SC) all have tough re-election campaigns and therefore may be more willing to take to your call.

6/14

Third - and this is where academics can really do some damage - write like your students’ lives depend on it (because, well, they do). To overturn the #StudentBan, we need OpEds.

7/14

OpEds are actually one of the best tools around to beat the #StudentBan. They were a huge tool in opposing the #GradStudentTax in ’17, and are shockingly powerful.

(Here’s one I wrote back then for an example).
chrismarsicano.com/wp-content/upl…

8/14

Here’s why: Members of Congress have staff that read their constituents’ local newspapers every. single. day. If you write an OpEd in your local paper on the #StudentBan, I can all but guarantee a member of Congress or one of their staff members will see it.

9/14

So, fellow academics, crank up your word processor and do what you do best - write. Fire off 350-500 words to your local paper opposing the #StudentBan. Be kind, not mean. No name-calling. Hit three key points:

10/14

1. America thrives when we bring the world’s greatest minds to our shores.
2. International students subsidize domestic students.
3. The #StudentBan is just mean. (Seriously - the “be nice, not mean” argument carries WAY more weight than you may think).

11/14

Fourth, the #StudentBan will face court battles. We need those battles to last at least until after the semester begins. Preferably they’ll last past January 20, 2021. As long as the courts are fighting those battles, the status quo will likely stand.

12/14

So, help out the organizations that fight these battles, like the ACLU - which I'd be willing to bet will file a suit against the #StudentBan in less than a week.

Also...

and I can’t stress this enough...

#VOTE.

13/14

Like any issue, if you care about something, and are eligible to vote - register and make your vote count. International students can’t vote against the #StudentBan, so you must. Here is a tool to make sure you are registered.
vote.org/am-i-registere…

GO #VOTE!

FIN.

14/14