One week before spring break, Brown advised international community members, including visa holders and permanent residents, to postpone international travel in a campus-wide email sent on Sunday.
“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,” Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey wrote in the email.
He advised community members to evaluate domestic travel plans, as “it is unclear whether there may be implications also for domestic travel within the United States as the federal policy landscape continues to evolve.”
The federal government has not publicly communicated travel restrictions or bans.
The guidance will remain in place until the University receives additional information from the U.S. Department of State, Carey wrote.
“Please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will share updates if and when the federal government issues a significant new restriction or ban,” Carey wrote.
The advisory comes after Assistant Professor of Medicine Rasha Alawieh was held by customs officials at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday after travel to Lebanon. Alawieh was in possession of a valid H-1B visa when landing in the U.S., according to court documents filed on Alawieh’s behalf.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency did not clarify why she was held. On Friday night, U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ordered that Alawieh not be moved out of Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice. But Alawieh has since been deported from the country, according to court filings and her relative Yara Chehab. She is now in Lebanon, Chehab wrote.
The University previously advised all international students to return to campus before President Trump’s inauguration, The Herald previously reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Cate Latimer is a university news editor covering faculty, University Hall and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
