Brown provost joins public outcry over immigrant ban

Provost Locke sent a letter to the Brown University Campus last Saturday following an executive order issued by President Trump that may affect international students and faculty alike.
Provost Locke sent a letter to the Brown University Campus last Saturday following an executive order issued by President Trump that may affect international students and faculty alike. | Elisa.rolle (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brown_University_campus-125.jpg), „Brown University campus-125“, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode
Brown University Provost Richard Locke recently sent a letter to the campus community following the executive order on immigration issued by President Donald Trump on Jan. 27.

“We are deeply troubled and concerned about this action and the detrimental impact it will have on our international students and scholars, our entire community, and our mission as a university,” Locke said.

The executive order, which heavily restricts U.S. entry for refugees as well as some visa holders from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan and Yemen, resulted in public outcry and lawsuits filed by the ACLU.

Locke’s letter highlights the education of the world community at Brown University, noting the school's more than 2,000 international students and scholars. While asserting that Brown remains committed to attracting the most talented minds from all countries, cultures, races, religions, identities and experiences, the letter also warns students about international travel.

“While the full impact of this executive order is still unknown, we are already seeing the effects on our campus and among our peers," Locke said. "It is clear that in the short term, this directive will impact the mobility of our international students and scholars. Therefore, during this time of great uncertainty, we strongly advise against international travel for students and scholars from targeted countries."

Locke offered the Office of International Student and Scholar Services as a resource for students, staff or faculty having trouble returning to the United States, and the Office of Global Engagement for all other non-visa-related concerns.

The letter closes with Locke promising to keep students and faculty aware of changes at all levels of government that could affect the Brown University community.

“The environment is fluid, and as we learn more, we will continue to share this information with you," he said.