Stacey Luster, JD, Vice President of Personnel Services and General Counsel, was appointed the university’s first general counsel in January 2025. In addition to serving as chief legal counsel, the General Counsel is the Vice President for Personnel Services. Ms. Luster is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Provides legal advice and representation to the University President, officers, faculty, and staff, all in their official capacities, on various issues affecting the University*
- Oversees Human Resources, Payroll, Title IX
- Coordinates litigation with the Office of the Attorney General and/or external counsel, as appropriate.
Areas of Legal Practice:
- Employment Law
- Education Law
- Labor Law
- Discrimination Law
- Contracts
- Torts
Additional Areas of Expertise:
- Equal Employment and Equal Educational Opportunity
- Complaints and Investigations
- Equity Assessments and Planning
- Community Organizing and Development
- Dispute Resolution
- Professional Development
- Public Policy
- Strategic Planning
The General Counsel does not provide legal advice to individual employees or student organizations.
Resources
Update to Sept. 19, 2025 Presidential Proclamation Restricting Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrants From Abroad (Sept. 22, 2025)
On September 19, 2025, the President of the United States issued a Proclamation restricting the entry of H-B nonimmigrants currently outside the U.S. The order became effective 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.
On September 20, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP), both agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued memoranda stating the Proclamation “only applies prospectively.”
The USCIS memorandum provides that the “proclamation does not apply to aliens who: are the beneficiaries of petitions that were filed prior to [September 21, 2025], are the beneficiaries of currently approved petitions, or are in possession of validly issued H-1B non-immigrant visas.” To read the USCIS memorandum, see: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/H1B_Proc_Memo_FINAL.pdf.
The CBP memorandum states that the entry restriction does not apply to persons who are the beneficiaries of H-1B petitions filed prior to September 21, 2025, or to persons in possession of a valid H-1B visa. CBP also states that the "Proclamation does not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to and from the United States."
Based on USCIS and CBP memoranda, current H-1B status holders, persons in possession of a valid H-1B visa, and beneficiaries of petitions filed before September 21, 2025 are not affected by the Proclamation.
Although there are other potential exceptions to the entry ban and to the new $100,000 fee for H-1B petitions filed on and after September 21, 2025, no details have been offered by DHS or the White House on how or when these exceptions might be implemented.
To read the Presidential Proclamation, see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers/
The enforceability of this proclamation will be tested in court.
Presidential Proclamation Restricting Entry of H-1B Nonimmigrants From Abroad (Sept. 19, 2025)
The President of the United States issued a proclamation on Friday, Sept. 19, restricting the entry (or re-entry) of all H-B nonimmigrants currently outside the U.S. The order is effective 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.
Accordingly:
(1) all H-1B nonimmigrants currently outside the U.S., must return to the U.S. as soon as possible and no later than 11:59 PM eastern daylight time on Saturday, September 20, 2025, and
(2) all travel planned by any H-1B nonimmigrant for outside of the U.S. should be cancelled immediately.
The enforceability of this proclamation will be tested in court. But in the meantime, it should be treated as an effective order which will be fully enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as of 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.
Although there are some potential, narrow exceptions to the ban and a new qualifying H-1B fee of $100,000 is proposed for all H-1B petitions, no details are offered and it is not clear how or when these provisions might be implemented.
To read the Presidential Proclamation, see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers/
Additional resources:
- Massachusetts Attorney General Advisory: Information for Massachusetts Colleges and Universities Regarding Immigrant Students (January 23, 2025) (PDF)
- Immigration-Related Campus Concerns, American Council on Education (January 2025)
- Know Your Rights, Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants (PDF)
In accordance with guidance from the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Fitchburg State University will implement the following protocols before providing access to sensitive areas and/or information when contacted by federal agents:
- Determine the purpose of their visit to campus.
- Immigration officers may engage in routine regulatory VISA enforcement site visits to campuses
- If not a routine visit, proceed to following steps
- Ask for their name, identification number, and the name of the agency with which they are affiliated.
- Request a copy of any judicial warrant or court order they have.
- Inform them that you are not attempting to obstruct his or her actions, but you are not authorized to respond to the request and need to contact the Office of the General Counsel before you can provide access/information.
- Request that they wait in an area generally open to the public while you contact the Office of the General Counsel.
-
Updated Joint Guidance on Race Neutral School Programs, Massachusetts Governor and Attorney General, Feb. 26, 2025 (PDF)
-
Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Employment Initiatives, Massachusetts Attorney General, Feb. 13, 2025 (PDF)