On Jan. 31, 2020, President Trump placed additional travel restrictions on six more countries including Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania. All places included in the travel ban have a significant Muslim population. The travel restrictions — which were carried out on Feb. 22 — will affect people from those six countries wanting to come to the United States permanently. In the aftermath, Skidmore administration and students have been responding to the information.
Due to the recent development, there are now thirteen countries total that fall under the travel ban, and Skidmore college has some students from the affected places. While the travel bans’ restrictions vary from country to country, and most — yet not all — are directed to people looking to stay permanently in the United States, it still brings uncertainty to the campus.
In an email to the student body, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Cerri Banks wrote that Skidmore hopes to support all students from the countries on the list.
“We recognize that many students, staff, faculty, and their families may be feeling uneasy in the wake of this most recent executive order,” Banks said. “International Student and Scholar Advisors and designated School Officials will be reaching out to students from affected countries to offer support and guidance regarding the terms of the new order and travel procedures.”
Associate Dean of Student Academic Affairs Jamin Totino believes that certain international students may not want to go home to some of the countries on the list, even though the travel ban may not include them.
“Students from the affected countries may understandably feel disinclined to return to their home countries during the breaks or over the summer,” Totino said. “This means that they may not see their family and loved ones for some time.”
To Hadia Bakkar ‘20, who is Syrian, the travel ban has impacted her Skidmore career.
Though Bakkar is not from the countries recently added, she has been affected by the ban itself since 2017. “The ban has greatly impacted my life and limited my opportunities in terms of study abroad and visiting my family,” Bakkar said. “Although Skidmore has been a relatively supportive place, there is still a lot that can and should be done to support students from these countries,” she added
According to Totino, while the restrictions do not represent Skidmore’s values, they will still affect the student population.
“All of the countries included in both proclamations are considerably Muslim, and anti-Muslim messages and sentiment run counter to Skidmore’s values,” Totino said. “Further tightening of existing proclamations or additional proclamations that we are unaware of may be forthcoming.”
In a 2017 memo, during the first wave of travel bans, President Philip Glotzbach claimed that Skidmore would continue to support its students.
“We need to show solidarity with all of our international students, faculty members and staff members, especially those from countries affected by these recent developments,” Glotzbach said.