Guidance Regarding Law Enforcement and Immigration (February 6, 2026)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity has been reported in the Capital Region and throughout the United States. We have not had incidents on campus, but we wanted to share guidance from our Public Safety officials, as maintaining Russell Sage as a safe and comfortable environment is important to us.

  • Contact Public Safety at (518-244-3177): If any state, local, or federal law enforcement agency approaches you on campus seeking to speak with you or another student or employee, reach out to Public Safety. Remember, you have the right to remain silent and can request to speak with a lawyer before answering any questions. 
  • Public Safety will advise these agencies that they are only allowed in areas open to the general public, unless they have a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
    • Law enforcement, including ICE, can generally enter areas of campus open to the public without a warrant. 
    • Access to non-public campus areas (including residence halls, student housing, counseling centers, classrooms, offices, and other restricted spaces) typically requires a valid judicial warrant, consent from the college, or exigent circumstances. 
    • In emergencies involving an immediate threat to health or safety, law enforcement may enter as necessary to respond to the emergency.   
  • Access to student records is protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):
    • The college will not disclose nondirectory student education records without a legally sufficient process, such as a judicial warrant or court order signed by a judge, except where FERPA expressly permits disclosure.
    • An ICE “administrative warrant” (signed by an immigration officer, not a judge) does not by itself authorize access to nonpublic campus areas or nondirectory student records.
    • “Directory information” is defined in the college’s FERPA policy (typically including limited items, such as name and enrollment status). Parents and eligible students have the right to opt out of directory information disclosure, and the college will honor those opt-outs.
    • If the college receives a lawful judicial warrant or subpoena for student records, it will review the scope of the request with legal counsel before any disclosure.
    • Absent a legal prohibition in the warrant or court order, FERPA generally requires written notice to the parent or eligible student before records are released.
    • In limited circumstances, FERPA permits disclosures to DHS/ICE for SEVIS compliance related to F-1 or J-1 students; such requests will still be reviewed by counsel prior to any response.
    • The college will document all requests for student records and the steps taken to comply with FERPA.
  • Legal Counsel: The college will consult with its legal counsel before responding to requests from immigration or other federal officials whenever feasible. Counsel will verify whether any submitted document is a judicial warrant, administrative warrant, subpoena, or court order, and whether it lawfully authorizes access to the requested records or spaces.
  • Right to Remain Silent: Students and employees have the right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
    • You do not have to answer questions about your birthplace, immigration status, or how you entered the United States.
    • You may say: “I choose to remain silent.”
    • You do not have to show identity documents that reveal your country of nationality.
    • You may ask to speak with a lawyer before answering questions or signing any documents.
    • Do not provide false documents or make false statements.

The New York State Department of State’s Office for New Americans provides this illustrated guide to immigration-related encounters with officials. It also runs a free hotline at 1-800-566-7636 that provides live assistance in over 200 languages. Anyone can call the hotline for information and referrals, regardless of citizenship or legal status. Calls are confidential and anonymous. The hotline is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday.

Students experiencing anxiety and worry can get assistance through our Wellness Centers.  We offer free, confidential mental health services, as well as referrals to community services. 

Contact Wellness:

Troy campus:

troywellnesscenter@sage.edu

518-244-2261

Albany campus:

albanywellnesscenter@sage.edu 

518-292-1917

“Professional programs” definition and federal graduate loans

The following message was sent to Russell Sage students and employees on November 25, 2025.

Dear Russell Sage community,

There has been a lot of confusion in the news and on social media recently focusing on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and how it defines “professional programs” for the purposes of capping new federal loan borrowing by graduate students after July 1, 2026. (Please note that private loans will continue to remain available to graduate students across all fields, regardless of how “professional programs” are defined in the act.)

Excluded from the “professional programs” definition when it comes to defining federal loan caps were nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant programs, among many others. Of course, all of these fields are critical and filled with skilled and compassionate professionals, and members of those fields have a right to feel slighted. 

But it’s important to be clear about several things:

  • If you’re a graduate student who has already taken out a Grad PLUS loan or any other federal student loans, you are not impacted by the changes.
  • This does not impact undergraduate students’ federal loans or programs.
  • Graduate students pursuing fields outside of the proposed “professional programs” can still take out new federal student loans. But how much they can borrow over a lifetime will differ from those in “professional programs.” Again, private loans are still available.
  • These changes aren’t set in stone – they could shift before the new law takes effect.

The details of how the bill will be carried out are still under debate, including which programs are included in the “professional programs” category. But as it currently stands:

  • New graduate student borrowers in “professional programs” would be capped at $200,000 in lifetime federal unsubsidized loan borrowing – or $50,000 a year – not including undergraduate loans.
  • New borrowers in the other master’s and doctoral programs would have a lifetime federal unsubsidized loan limit of $100,000 – or $20,500 a year – not including undergraduate loans.

Please know that since the bill was rolled out, we’ve been talking with New York state officials about how they could step in to offer state support, and we’ll continue to do whatever we can to support educational access. It is core to our mission at Russell Sage, and we know that every student we send into the workforce is a professional poised to make the world a better place.

This issue is evolving, and information is shifting rapidly. You can find a helpful Q&A on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities website. 

As we head into Thanksgiving break, know that we are grateful you are part of our Russell Sage community.

Guidance from Attorney Generals, including New York, on the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights February 14 Dear Colleague Letter and February 28 FAQs

A jointly issued guidance memo with FAQs was issued March 5, 2025, by New York Attorney General Letitia James and attorney generals from several other states.  The guidance was explicitly directed to both private and public institutions of higher education, as well as K-12 public school districts.

Key takeaways include:

  • Attorney General James and the other attorney generals issuing the memo take the position that President Trump’s executive orders, OCR’s Dear Colleague letter, and OCR’s FAQ are mistaken and have no force and effect of law. 
  • They continue to narrowly interpret the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the SFA admissions case. 
  • They offer a variety of recommended DEI practices that they believe remain permissible, not limited to college admissions and not limited to race.
  • The memo’s authors state that “Fear of the . . . loss of federal funding is not a justification to impose or reimpose discriminatory practices” that violate applicable state anti-discrimination laws (page 4), including but not limited to protections for students and employees based on gender identity and expression.

Rights of Transgender Students Under New York State Law

The latest joint statement published by the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Education Department regarding the rights of transgender students under state law is directed toward K-12 public schools, but its essential points are equally applicable to public and private institutions of higher education in New York.  

The NYS Attorney General/NYS Education Department are advising that:

  • President Trump’s executive orders on gender are a nullity, absent further agency, congressional, or court action;
  • Any threatened loss of federal funds for noncompliance with the executive orders cannot be imposed solely or directly by those executive orders;
  • Rights of transgender persons in this state are unchanged and remain readily enforceable

The college has been in contact with its legal counsel, and they are watching these issues. New York state laws and regulations are in place that address these issues, so no changes are warranted at this time. If there is a need, we will certainly speak to our attorneys.

As it says in our Institutional Commitment to Open Dialogue and Safe Spaces, “[W]e are deeply committed to supporting open inquiry, diverse perspectives, mutual respect, and constructive dialogue through education, experiential learning, and research. As an institution founded on the principle of empowerment through education, we recognize our responsibility to amplify voices and perspectives that have been historically underrepresented. We are committed to ensuring that every member of our community is heard and valued. Our goal is to create safe spaces where challenging and diverse ideas can be openly explored, always guided by our mission to foster responsible citizenship and individual growth.”

If a student, faculty, or staff member encounters ICE on campus, they should refer the visitors to Public Safety, who will act accordingly.

Federal immigration enforcement agents are required to have a criminal arrest or search warrant to lawfully enter limited access, nonpublic areas without consent (this would include residence halls, the Wellness Center, etc.). Most often, immigration agents who might come to campus would be acting on civil, not criminal, authority, and generally carry administrative warrants. Administrative warrants are not signed by a judge and do not authorize agents to enter limited access areas without consent. FERPA directory information does not include immigration status, citizenship, or national origin information or documentation. Other than subject to a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena, schools are not required to provide student information to federal or local law enforcement officials.

Are any changes being made to federal student aid?

On January 29, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memorandum that temporarily paused federal financial assistance programs. Prior to that announcement, the college received official information from Federal Student Aid that confirms the attempted pause on federal grants and loans would not impact “assistance received directly by individuals,” including Title IV, HEA funds, which are provided to individual students, such as Pell Grants. 

FAQS on Student Aid and Loan Repayment Changes (July 2025)

The reconciliation bill passed by Congress and signed by the President on July 4, 2025, included several changes impacting higher education. We outline some of the FAQs you may get from students or alumni below. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFA) also created a detailed and easy-to-follow guide to the changes.

Students will receive a message that updates them on what the changes mean on July 16, and alumni will receive a note about the changes to federal student loan repayment programs later in the week.

This FAQ is to help you answer any questions you may receive on the topic.

Current Students

Pell Grants, which are so important to undergraduate students with financial need, are staying largely the same. The biggest change is that starting in 2026-2027, the net value of small businesses and family farms with fewer than 100 employees won’t have to be reported on the FAFSA. (That’s restoring it to the way it was before they overhauled the FAFSA).

If you’re a current student with Parent PLUS loans, the changes won’t impact you. Beginning July 1, 2026, the federal Parent PLUS loan will be capped at $20,000 per year and $65,000 lifetime per student. Parents may still borrow for multiple children. If you have Parent PLUS loans taken out before July 1, 2026, parents can continue to borrow under current loan limits for three academic years or the remainder of their student’s degree program.

No. If you have at least one Grad PLUS loan prior to June 30, 2026, you can continue your loan until the end of your program or three academic years. That means if you plan to attend graduate school in 2026-2027 and utilize a Grad PLUS loan, as long as you take the loan out before that deadline, you will be grandfathered in.

Alumni

The important point to make with alumni who may have repayment plan questions is that they should contact their loan servicer, who is the only one who can advise them about their specific loans. The office of Federal Student Aid will also be sending out information directly to borrowers. Please also feel free to share the link to the information from NASFA at the top of this document.

 If you’re enrolled in any of these repayment plans – Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), or Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) – you’ll eventually be asked to transition to a new plan, either the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) or an Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, by July 1, 2028. If you don’t decide by that deadline, you would be automatically enrolled in RAP. 

RAP will have a $10 minimum monthly payment and will base the borrower’s payment on their Adjusted Gross Income and number of dependents. RAP offers loan forgiveness after 30 years.

IBR requires a minimum monthly payment equal to 15% (10% for new borrowers on or after July 1, 2014) of the borrower’s discretionary income divided by 12. It offers loan forgiveness after 25 years.

If you’re enrolled in Standard, current IBR, Graduated, and Extended repayment plans, you can continue in those plans or opt to enroll in the new RAP plan.

Just this week, the U.S. Education Department announced it will resume applying interest to federal student loan borrowers in the SAVE plan beginning August 1, 2025, which means borrowers will begin accruing interest again. Repayments continue to be paused while the SAVE plan is considered by the courts. Federal Student Aid will reach out to SAVE plan participants with more information about options.

Many of you may work in fields where you are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and you’ll be happy to know that no changes were made to this program.

What resources are available to students who are concerned about immigration changes?

If you are working with a student who is impacted by any changes to immigration policy, please refer to the list below and consider contacting the Dean of Students on your campus for additional information and assistance.

On-campus support:

Local support:

  • Sunhee’s Community Place
    communityplace@sunhees.com
    518-423-9124
  • Columbia County Sanctuary Movement
    For Emergencies/Para Emergencias: 518-291-9386 
    For General Inquiries/Para consultas generales: 518-303-3848
  • Refugee and Immigrant Support Services (RISSE)
    240 W Lawrence Street Albany, NY 12208
    518-621-1041
  • Office for New Americans (ONA) Hotline
    1-800-566-7636
    Toll-free, multi-lingual hotline providing live assistance in more than 200 languages. Anyone can call the hotline for information and referrals, regardless of citizenship or documented status. Calls to the hotline are confidential and anonymous. The hotline operates from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST), Monday through Friday

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