Brown University Advises International Students and Staff to Avoid Travel Amid Uncertainty:

Brown University has advised international students and staff to be cautious about traveling outside the United States due to growing uncertainties surrounding travel restrictions. This warning follows the deportation of Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese-born assistant professor at Brown University, who was denied re-entry into the US after a trip to Lebanon. The university issued the travel advisory in light of shifting rules that could affect non-citizens, including those with valid visas or green cards, during the upcoming spring break, a time when many students and faculty plan international travel.

Controversy Surrounding Deportation

The incident that led to the advisory involved Dr. Alawieh, a specialist in kidney transplantation, who was detained at Logan International Airport in Boston despite holding an H1B visa sponsored by the university. US Homeland Security claimed that Dr. Alawieh attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a statement she denied. Federal prosecutors also alleged that she had images of Nasrallah and Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on her phone, which she deleted before attempting re-entry.

Dr. Alawieh explained that the images were shared in WhatsApp groups for religious purposes, not political reasons, and that she followed Nasrallah for his religious teachings. Despite a judge's order to delay her deportation for 48 hours, she was forcibly removed from the US, sparking widespread concern among academic institutions about the risks associated with international travel for scholars on non-immigrant visas.

Broader Concerns for International Students and Faculty

Brown University’s warning is not unique. Other institutions, such as Dartmouth College and Columbia University, have also advised caution, particularly for individuals from countries affected by US travel bans, such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and North Korea. Columbia University has specifically urged students and staff from these countries to avoid non-essential travel to mitigate the risk of facing similar issues upon re-entry.

As the legal battles surrounding travel restrictions continue, universities are grappling with the potential impacts on their international student and faculty populations, as these travel uncertainties could disrupt academic work and research collaborations.