Immigration Policy Updates

Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer is Clinical Professor of Law at Cornell Law School and director of the 1L Immigration Law & Advocacy Clinic. She teaches courses on immigration law and supervises students representing immigrants in matters ranging from asylum and parole to naturalization and special immigrant juvenile status.

In addition to her extensive casework, Professor Kelley-Widmer is recognized for her expertise in Know Your Rights education, preparing immigrants and international students to understand and assert their legal protections. She also leads Cornell’s pro bono Path2Papers project, which assists DACA recipients seeking permanent pathways to legal status.

Laura Taylor is Director of International Services in the Office of Global Learning, where she has guided international students, scholars, and university administrators through U.S. immigration regulations for nearly three decades. Ms. Taylor specializes in higher education applications of U.S. immigration law, regulations, and practice.

During her career as an international educator, Ms. Taylor has published articles, served as an invited speaker, and held numerous leadership positions with NAFSA: Association of International Educators. She and her International Services team ensure that Cornell’s international community is supported in navigating an evolving policy landscape.

Wendy Wolford is Vice Provost for International Affairs and the Robert A. and Ruth E. Polson Professor of Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. As vice provost, Professor Wolford supports Cornell’s international community and leads efforts to strengthen the university’s global connections and interdisciplinary initiatives.

Under Professor Wolford’s leadership, Cornell has created Global Hubs partnerships, Global Grand Challenges, and increased support for Scholars Under Threat. Her research spans land governance, social movements, agrarian studies, and political ecology, with long-term work in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mozambique.