Dear Seminary Community,
On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued Proclamation 9645 pursuant to Section 2(e) of Executive Order 13780, restricting entry to the United Sates for the nationals of eight countries. On December 4, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) stayed preliminary injunctions that had been issued by U.S. District Courts in Hawaii and Maryland, which allows the government to fully enforce Travel Ban 3.0 on all 8 countries. The new restrictions, ranging from a ban of all travel from North Korea and Syria to a targeted ban on tourist and business travel limited to certain government officials and their family members from Venezuela. Though all Iranian immigrants and most nonimmigrant visitors will be barred, nationals from Iran traveling on student (F and M) and exchange visitor (J) visas will still be able to enter the U.S., “subject to enhanced screening and vetting requirements.” Nonimmigrant visitors -- including students and scholars -- from Somalia will be permitted to come to the U.S. but will also be subject to heightened screening. The new rules do not limit travel by visiting students and scholars on F, J or M visas who come from the other three countries targeted for restrictions: Chad, Libya and Yemen. However, in suspending all travel on business and tourist visas (the B visas) from those three countries, the new restrictions could prevent students and scholars from coming to the U.S. for short-term visits—such as to participate in a conference.
From conversations with counterparts from various institutions, it will be imperative that if classes are undergoing international travel in January or any part of the year, the following items will take place from an institution’s standpoint:
The provision of an official letter from the Seminary detailing:
Princeton Seminary through its various offices will continue to monitor these matters.
Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, Jr. PDSO
Associate Dean for Institutional Diversity
and Community Engagement
“…I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Matthew 25:35
“The rooting of justice in our spiritual formation in Christ requires careful thought and teaching. I was equipped to lead in this way through my time at PTS.”