Faculty-led Town Hall Focuses on Travel Orders, Legal-Immigration Policies

Concerns around the executive orders on travel, as well as other legal-immigration policies, were the focus of a town hall meeting convened on Friday, April 14, in Beckman Auditorium by a group of concerned Caltech faculty acting on behalf of the Caltech Faculty Board.

"In this meeting, we want to answer questions, address your concerns, and hear your viewpoints on any issues regarding how these new policies on immigration and travel may impact you," said event moderator Kai Zinn, professor of biology.

Caltech president Thomas Rosenbaum started the discussion. "This university, like all good research universities in the United States of America, has thrived because we have brought talented people from around the world who contribute their ideas and their different backgrounds," he noted in part. "It is the essence of what we have been and why we are concerned, as a community, about restrictions on that immigration."

Ilana Smith, director of Caltech's International Offices—which include International Scholar Services, International Student Programs, and the International Office at JPL—talked about the types of assistance Caltech can provide to scholars. "We can act on behalf of the Institute," she explained, "but we really seek to instruct people on how to make thoughtful individual decision on how to achieve … their personal goals."

Among the things the Institute is able to do, Smith noted, is to help clear up "simple misunderstandings" with the consulate, verify enrollment status, ask for help from congressional representatives, or—for more serious issues—refer an individual to outside immigration counsel.

Victoria Stratman, Caltech's general counsel, added that the majority of the legal support Caltech is currently providing to international students and scholars comes through the International Offices. "[Ilana Smith's] office has an incredible amount of expertise in this area," Stratman said. "So one of the things that I would urge people is that, if you are an international scholar and you are going to travel, take advantage of Ilana's office. Visit her first, and ensure that all of your paperwork and anything that you need to do is done and is done correctly."

Rosenbaum noted that Caltech has also been working on a broader scale to make its voice heard on these issues, through both internal and external statements, letters to government officials, and the joining of an amicus curiae brief in support of the overturn of the executive order, as part of the Association of American Universities.

But just as importantly, he said, "we have attempted to empower members of the community to speak out in more political ways. As an institution, we don't make political statements, I don't make political statements in that fashion, because I don't want to quench the ability of anybody to express their most profound beliefs. We want to create an environment where all of you are free to state, with all verve, any opinion that you would like."

Panelist Mory Gharib, Caltech's Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Bioinspired Engineering, urged members of the community to reach out to faculty and administrators for support as needed. "It's not just regulations that might limit us in what we want to do, but also stress and sometimes environments might impact … our mission and our efforts.

"It helps us as faculty to understand if there are cases where we wonder why a researcher isn't progressing, or why this student got a low grade … We don't get that information unless you come to us."

Representatives from the Caltech Postdoctoral Association (CPA), as well as the Institute's Graduate Student Council (GSC) and the undergraduate student body each read a statement. CPA board member Jason Marshall, a senior postdoctoral scholar in mechanical and civil engineering, noted that the group "seeks to support members of the community affected by changes in immigration policies, and encourages input on the best ways to provide that support." GSC board member and GPS graduate student Henry Ngo made note of the potential lost professional opportunities due to travel restrictions and asked faculty members to "find alternative ways to promote their students' careers," adding, "We hope that our community will continue to support each other as best we can."

Finally, senior Nikita Sirohi reflected on the importance of a diverse community. "As a scientist, the diversity at Caltech has pushed me beyond my comfort zone, taught me how to approach problems from angles I never would have considered, and showed me how to apply my work in ways I never even knew existed. More importantly, the diversity at Caltech has enriched me as a person. I feel exposed to a myriad of unique, creative worldviews and people whose life experiences have shaped who I am, and whose friendships I will always treasure. … Empathy and support are what will keep Caltech the vibrant institution that it is."

The Town Hall meeting was one of a series of forums held on campus to discuss travel and immigration restrictions that impact the Caltech community—and also to highlight the availability of resources to assist members of the community most affected by those restrictions.