Georgetown University encouraged incoming international students from certain countries to defer their enrollment and current international community members to remain in the United States in June 6 letters after President Donald Trump banned citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States.
Trump’s travel ban, which will go into effect June 9, “fully” restricts citizens of 12 countries — Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — and partially restricts citizens of seven more from traveling to the United States if they do not currently have a visa, citing national security and foreign policy objectives. The federal government previously revoked the visas of at least 10 Georgetown community members, though some of those were reinstated after nationwide legal challenges.
Georgetown sent four letters to current and incoming international community members from banned countries depending on their status: current international students and scholars; incoming international students with and without an immigration document from the university; and incoming international scholars without a visa.
The letters to incoming international students from affected countries said if students do not have a visa, they should consider deferring their enrollment.
“For students who do not have a visa at this time, we encourage you to communicate with your academic department to discuss your academic/deferral options,” the letter reads.
The university similarly told incoming international scholars from the banned countries to amend or cancel their research plans if they do not have a J-1 visa, which allows academics entry to the United States after filling out a DS-2019 form, which permits an interview for the visa.
“If you are unable to enter the U.S. to begin your J-1 Program, please reach out to your Department Administrator and Host Professor to discuss amending the start date of your J-1 Program or possibly cancelling your DS-2019 at this time and reapplying for a future date,” the letter to affected international scholars reads.
The university advised currently enrolled students and scholars from the 19 countries to return to the United States by June 9 and not leave if their visa has expired.
A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In all four letters, the university reaffirmed its commitment to international community members, saying they are essential to the university.
“International students and scholars make up an integral part of the Georgetown community and we remain committed to supporting you in navigating this changing immigration landscape,” the letters read.