Executive Order on Immigration

Jan. 30, 2017

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

President Trump recently issued an executive order restricting or blocking entry into this country for at least 90 days of nationals from the predominantly Muslim countries of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Additional countries may be added to this list in the near future.

Many of you have written to me to express concern about the discriminatory nature of the new restrictions, their impact on individual members of our community, their impact on Hamilton and American higher education, and their inconsistency with some of our community's core values. I share these concerns.

As noted in my December 6 message to the campus, what affects one member of our community affects us all. The College is named after one of this country's most famous immigrants and has a long history of welcoming community members from around the globe, including countries named in the recent executive order. We will continue to do so. The perspectives and experiences of our international students, scholars and staff greatly enrich our community. Neither our admission standards nor our hiring practices will change. We will remain a diverse, supportive and welcoming campus.

The College will do what it can to support those members of our community affected by the new immigration policy. We are bringing an expert in immigration law to campus next week; she will be available to meet with students, faculty and staff who have questions about the impact of the new travel restrictions. Other campus resources are available to anyone with questions or concerns. Allen Harrison, our Associate Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility Services, can help direct members of our community with questions to the appropriate campus office. We will also work with our U.S. and international students abroad to offer advice, guidance and support.

It seems likely that law and policy in this area will evolve quickly. We will continue to monitor new developments and assist all affected members of our community as best we can.

David