Following on the letter than Dean Prentice sent to all Princeton faculty, Dean Kulkarni sent the message below to all graduate students on Sunday, January 29, 2017:

Dear graduate students,

We have received many messages from members of our community concerned about the impact of changes in immigration policies under the new administration in Washington.   We want to be prepared to support and advise our students, scholars, and others who might be affected by any changes, and to express our deep concern about any potential impact on the ability of this and other American universities to engage in teaching and research of the highest quality.  The flow of talent, people, and ideas is fundamental to a community that prizes inquiry, discovery, and the production of knowledge. So is the ability of our community members to feel valued, safe, and engaged in our research and teaching enterprise on an egalitarian basis.

We have strongly advised students and scholars who might be affected and who have travel plans in the coming days to defer travel outside of the United States until there is some clarity and legal analysis of the situation or, if they must travel, to seek legal counsel before they do.  We are working to ensure that our affected community members have the legal advice and support they need while they navigate the uncertainty associated with the implementation of the executive order.

We wanted to share this information more broadly with all of you. Many of you may have concerns or may have peers who are reaching out to you for information or support.  We are all affected when members of our community feel at risk. We take very seriously anything that could affect the ability of our students and scholars to engage in their scholarship. International students and scholars who have general immigration questions or specific questions about their current situation should contact the Davis International Center ([email protected]), which is following the situation extremely closely and is in the best position to provide immigration advice and resources.

We will continue to keep you posted as we know more, and we will work closely with our Princeton colleagues, peer institutions, and the immigration law community to understand this and other immigration issues as they arise and to support members of our community.  In the meantime, we have scheduled drop-in hours on Monday, January 30, and Wednesday, February 1, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Green Hall, Room 3-S-15, which is where the offices of our Diversity and Inclusion team are located.  Members of the Graduate School staff and the Davis International Center will be on hand to answer questions and provide support.

All the best,

--Sanj Kulkarni