The group that represents university teachers in Canada is advising staff against travelling south of the border.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) represents 72,000 members across the country and is recommending academic staff only go to the United States, if necessary.
Peter McInnis, president of CAUT, tells our newsroom he is shocked this is where we are.
“We all know things have changed at a rapid pace since the inauguration of President Donald Trump,” says McInnis.
Not only did CAUT take advice from their lawyers before making the move but also paid attention to the events that are unfolding.
McInnis says they are hearing reports from members who try going into the U.S. for things like academic conferences, research, or other job-related matters and are being denied entry.
“It could be that they have some background, maybe dual nationality with countries that the United States doesn’t like. It could also be around their gender identification,” says McInnis.
He adds, doing any kind of research that the Trump administration doesn’t like, could also cause problems with customs officials.
Not just Canadians
This pattern, McInnis says, has been ongoing for weeks and includes professors from other countries.
He gave our newsroom an example of a French scientist who was denied entry into Houston because customs officials wanted to look at his cell phone.
“They looked at his social media and said he had an anti-Trump cartoon, and that was enough to bar his entry into the country,” says McInnis.
He adds, even the European Union has offered advice to professors, who may attempt to go the States.
“Maybe take a burner phone and take a different device with you. A strip down laptop. Take out some files. The custom officials, as we said, could say they want to look at it and this could compromise your research if you had promised confidentiality,” says McInnis.
Some colleagues still may attempt to travel to the U.S., but McInnis says he, himself, is hesitant.
“My paper was accepted for a conference in Chicago or somewhere similar and they said, ‘I don’t want to try it at this point'”.
In its 75 years of existence, this is the first time CAUT has ever issued an advisory of this sort.
“You can still go,” says McInnis, “but read our advisory and make an informed decision.”
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