International students “concerned about their ability to travel” will be able to apply for free emergency summer housing, President Linda Mills announced at a Thursday University Senate meeting, where she also addressed safety concerns at NYU Abu Dhabi and policies barring immigration agents from campus buildings.
The university’s New York campus will house undergraduate and graduate students who are unable to travel or return home due to safety concerns for free, and participants can apply for a grant that also covers a meal plan. NYU first introduced the offer in 2022, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and extended it in 2024 amid Israel’s ongoing siege in Gaza. This year, it comes as the United States and Israel wage a military operation in Iran, sparking retaliatory strikes in several surrounding countries.
“Additional details will be forthcoming,” Mills said at the meeting. “We know that these issues raise deep concern across our campus.”
Mills also emphasized administrators’ outreach to abroad sites affected by the conflict, after strikes landed five miles from NYU Abu Dhabi and two miles from NYU Tel Aviv at the end of last month. She cited daily phone calls that she and Provost Georgina Dopico have with administrators at the Abu Dhabi campus, and said they communicate consistently throughout the day.
Fabio Piano, interim vice chancellor at NYU Abu Dhabi, said at the meeting that although classes at the degree-granting campus are remote, “the community is in good spirits.” He added that administrators went into “emergency mode” but that the campus — now on an “extended spring break” — is fully operational with closely monitored access.
“No one ever expected that we’d have to leave on a moment’s notice — but the thing that I can say is that we are fine, everyone is fine,” Piano said. “We’re very excited that everyone has worked so well together. The NYU global network has been one of the reasons that we’ve been able to weather this storm as well as we have.”
Piano also commended NYU’s “UAE partners,” saying the country’s government has done an “extraordinary and surprising job” at “neutralizing the effects that come from the sky.”
Mills also noted that after violence broke out in Iran, NYU’s Office of Global Services contacted more than 800 students from the Middle East to offer the university’s wellness resources. The emails, obtained by WSN, said that NYU’s “commitment to your wellbeing remains steadfast” and linked to resources for mental health, visa support and spiritual life.
Referencing a cohort of nearly 300 high school students who were stranded at the Abu Dhabi campus due to canceled flights while on a candidate weekend, Mills said that “all but one” have now returned home. She read a series of statements from the students’ parents, all of which praised the university and its protocols.
“As I hope you can tell from this response, the students, faculty, administrators and staff who come to NYU from all over the world are deeply valued members of our community,” Mills said. “We want to reaffirm our unwavering support for them, and remind everyone that dedicated resources remain available to anyone in this community who may need assistance.”
While on the subject of international students, Mills emphasized NYU’s efforts to clarify its policy barring federal immigration agents from entering campus buildings without a warrant. She cited flyers posted around campus, as well as an update making the policy more prominent on the university’s website — both of which came after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a Columbia University student after lying to enter their residence hall.
NYU faced backlash for not directly addressing immigration concerns amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on student visas last year, when the university said that it “would comply with the law” if pressed by federal agents. After ICE raided a street just blocks from an NYU dorm, Campus Safety warned that the university’s protections do not extend to public spaces, sparking additional protest.
Administrators did not substantially address the brief cancellation of affinity graduations, which were effectively replaced on Tuesday with minor changes. Student government chair Ashlie Oxford — the only person to raise the issue during the meeting — said the development came after student concerns prompted discussion with NYU’s leadership.
The meeting ended with breakout meetings about the university’s budget and support for international students, which WSN was not permitted to attend.
A university spokesperson did not respond to additional requests for comment.
Contact Dharma Niles at [email protected].