Dartmouth College says it isn't changing any of its policies in response to recent changes in federal immigration enforcement, but it is taking other steps to support members of its community who could be affected.
Shortly after President Trump took office, his administration rolled back protections against immigration enforcement activities in educational settings. In recent weeks, colleges around the country — including in New Hampshire — have put out guidance to students, faculty and staff on how to respond if they are approached by immigration authorities on campus.
At Dartmouth, university officials haven’t publicly outlined those scenarios in detail, but they have encouraged students and staff to reach out to “your dean or supervisor on any questions you have concerning Dartmouth’s support network or any university policy.”
In an email, spokesperson Jana Barnello told NHPR “a core group of Dartmouth leaders is meeting every week to review any changes, or proposed changes, to immigration policies that might affect our community.” She noted that additional support for students is available from the Office of Visa and Immigration Services and the International Student Experience Office.
“As we learn of direct impacts to community members, the appropriate office or leader will communicate directly with those affected,” Barnello wrote in an email.
Barnello noted that the newly created international student experience team is offering weekly office hours. The Office of Visa and Immigration Services has also been offering information sessions, including a “Know Your Rights” workshop with the ACLU of New Hampshire.
In a message posted online last week, Dartmouth leaders said that safety and security officials have also met with small groups of faculty and staff to make sure people know how to respond if outside law enforcement show up.
“The goal is for people to know our campus protocols in the event representatives from law enforcement arrive in their offices,” the message read.
Reporting from The Dartmouth student newspaper suggests that some students are looking for more action from school leaders. Several international students told The Dartmouth they’re looking for more specific guidance around navigating potential travel restrictions under the Trump administration that might affect their ability to travel home. Members of the student government also recently met with Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock to seek more details on how the college would respond to immigration authorities, according to The Dartmouth.
