“Don’t think we don’t want you here … we do,” said immigration lawyer Dónal Eoin Reilly, of Iandoli, Desai & Cronin P.C., to an audience that largely consisted of immigrated students and scholars enrolled at the University of Massachusetts on Tuesday night.

Hosted by the UMass International Programs Office, lawyers from the Iandoli, Desai & Cronin P.C. immigration law firm spoke to several students about immigration topics, strategies for employment and applications for green cards.

As one of its handouts emphasized; “Immigration Law is complex and nuanced.” Taken into heavy consideration are the likes of quotas, limitations, exemptions and now in 2018 under President Trump: policy changes.

Attorney Madeline Choi Cronin was at the helm for the better part of the presentation, directing attention to the first PowerPoint slide that emphasized an important disclaimer about the events overall purpose; “This presentation provides information in general terms,” it stated. “Therefore, please seek individualized guidance from a competent professional before taking any action.”

The most prominent topic mentioned by all of the speakers was the recent political crackdown on immigration, and precisely what international students and scholars need to know about the matter.

“Oh boy,” Cronin joked. “So here we are on election day talking about the Trump Administration,” as she introduced a concept that has been dubbed as “unlawful presence.”

The term refers to newly-implemented punishment students and scholars can be subject to if a “violation of status” has been committed. As Cronin explained, this was not the case prior to the Trump Administration. International students and scholars at UMass have been encouraged now more than ever to meet with their international offices on the basis of these new statutes.

“It’s so critical now … because [the violation] can now have even more serious consequences [than before],” Cronin said.

Additionally, Cronin suggested the process of applying for immigration to the United States has become considerably more difficult in itself.

“We’re in a landscape of very strict adjudication of all types of applications with the [U.S.] Immigration Service,” Cronin said.

Despite the politics on the contrary, the team of attorneys from Iandoli Desai & Cronin assured they are here to support immigrants. As the assembly dispersed, attendees were encouraged to ask one-on-one questions with the attorneys, and to ask further questions about the boundless practice that is immigration in America.

Cameron Gibney can be reached at [email protected].