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Dean of Students Addresses Immigration Fears in College-wide Email

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Harvard College Dean of Students Thomas G. Dunne addressed student concerns over immigration enforcement at Harvard in a Sunday email — the first College-wide message to explicitly address fears in the wake of the Trump administration’s moves to abruptly revoke student visas.

“In recent days, we’ve heard from many concerned students due to recent reports of U.S. immigration enforcement actions,” Dunne wrote. “We know this is a very difficult time, and we are monitoring the situation closely.”

Dunne’s email comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have ramped up deportation proceedings for international students that participated in pro-Palestine protests or expressed pro-Palestine views.

According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at least 300 students have had their visas revoked as of Thursday — including Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who was arrested Tuesday near her home in Somerville.

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Several other universities have sought to clarify their policies surrounding ICE in the past few weeks in the wake of increased arrests.

After Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was detained earlier this month, then-interim Columbia President Katrina Armstrong sent an email to university affiliates reaffirming that law enforcement officers must have a warrant to enter nonpublic campus areas. On Friday, Armstrong stepped down from her position as interim president.

Yale University published a website on Friday which included answers to frequently asked questions on immigration enforcement. In addition to clarifying that any ICE agent must have a warrant to enter non-public areas on campus, the website included a guide on what to do if students are approached by ICE officials.

Dunne’s email, however, stopped short of giving specific advice on what to do if approached by ICE, instead directing students to the Harvard University Police Department and Harvard Office of the General Counsel.

He also wrote in the email that the HIO would be having an open “know your rights” information session on Wednesday, and that more sessions are likely to be scheduled in the future.

The Harvard International Office held one such session on Tuesday with international students via Zoom. In an email announcing the session last week, the HIO wrote that they had “received requests for advice regarding support for our valued international community.”

Dunne referred to University policy on law enforcement requests, which has not been updated since Trump assumed office and states that affiliates should call HUPD if approached by a law enforcement officer and if the officer asks them to share nonpublic information or access nonpublic space on Harvard’s campus.

Dunne also wrote that students who need legal assistance can consult with the Harvard Representation Initiative, a pro bono legal clinic that supports “members of the Harvard community who are undocumented, DACAmented, or non-U.S. citizens who are concerned about their immigration status,” according to its website.

Though Dunne acknowledged the existing uncertainty, he said the College would welcome thoughts on how to support students “during this uncertain and difficult time.”

“While there are still many unknowns, we want you to know that we are here for you — and make sure that you’re aware of the resources available to you,” Dunne wrote.

—Staff writer Samuel A. Church can be reached at samuel.church@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @samuelachurch.

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at cam.srivastava@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @camsrivastava.

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