Brown University Advises Visa and Green Card Holders to Reconsider Travel Plans

In an email, Russell Carey, a Brown administrator, referenced “concerning reports affecting our own community” of people refused re-entry into the U.S.

FILE - Passersby walk past Sayles Hall on Brown University’s campus in Providence, R.I., May 7, 2012.
FILE - Passersby walk past Sayles Hall on Brown University’s campus in Providence, R.I., May 7, 2012.
AP Photo/Steven Senne, File
1 min read
Share
FILE - Passersby walk past Sayles Hall on Brown University’s campus in Providence, R.I., May 7, 2012.
FILE - Passersby walk past Sayles Hall on Brown University’s campus in Providence, R.I., May 7, 2012.
AP Photo/Steven Senne, File
Brown University Advises Visa and Green Card Holders to Reconsider Travel Plans
Copy

Amid news reports of federal deportation actions against people lawfully in the U.S., Brown University is suggesting that students, staff, and faculty who hold green cards or visas should not travel internationally.

In an email sent Sunday, Brown Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell C. Carey, told the campus community, “Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage international students, staff, faculty and scholars – including U.S. visa holders and permanent residents (or “green card holders”) – to consider postponing or delaying personal travel outside the United States until more information is available from the U.S. Department of State.”

The email continues: “Potential changes in travel restrictions and travel bans, visa procedures and processing, re-entry requirements, and other travel-related delays may affect travelers’ ability to return to the U.S. as planned.”

Carey’s email comes as lawyers for Brown Medicine doctor Dr. Rasha Alawieh say the assistant professor was sent out of the country after being detained at Boston’s Logan International Airport last week.

Carey’s email references “concerning reports affecting our own community of a couple of individuals refused entry upon returning to the United States after international travel and compelled to immediately depart.”

Carey acknowledged that campus members feel “uncertainty and anxiety” about these reports and provided email recipients with resources available at Brown. Carey says the school’s residence halls will remain open for students staying in Providence over the upcoming Spring recess.

At least two other members of Ivy League communities have faced actions by federal officials in recent weeks. Mahmoud Khalil, who attended Columbia as an M.A. student, was seized by federal immigration authorities earlier this month and is being detained in Louisiana. And the New York Times reported that a Columbia doctoral student, Ranjani Srinivasan, fled to Canada after federal authorities revoked her student visa.

According to news reports, the Trump administration is considering travel restrictions on 43 countries. The list includes 11 countries whose citizens would not be allowed entry into the U.S.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio.

Where are things headed if the Trump administration flouts the rule of law? With Elon Musk overseeing sharp cuts to government programs, how should Democrats respond? And how can people concerned about the Trump administration make their voices heard?
The nonpartisan demonstration focused on calling out billionaires. Organizers said their aims were to put power back in the hands of people
Rob Martin spent decades making the ocean safer for whales and fishermen alike. Now, after losing his NOAA job under Trump’s cuts, he fears the cost of silencing science and sidelining expertise
After a long legal battle, Congregation Jeshuat Israel leaves Touro Synagogue — their spiritual home for over a century — as a new chapter begins under new tenants and old tensions linger
Cost, timeline and potential asks of state and city are still unknown