CAUT Urges Academic Staff to Avoid Non-Essential U.S. Travel

A group that represents university and college professors in Canada is urging teachers and academic staff to avoid traveling to the United States unless it is absolutely necessary. This advice comes because of the changing political situation in the U.S.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) speaks for 72,000 teachers, researchers, and other staff members at 120 colleges and universities in Canada. On Tuesday, they updated their travel warning.

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The CAUT recommends that teachers and academic staff travel to the U.S. only if it is essential. They also said that people in certain groups should be extra careful when traveling.

These groups include:

• People from countries that may face a travel ban.

• People from countries with bad relations with the U.S.

• People who have spoken out against the U.S. government, especially the Trump administration and its policies.

• People whose research might go against the U.S. government’s views.

The warning also applies to people who have passports stamped with evidence of traveling to countries that could face a travel ban or have bad relations with the U.S. It also applies to people who are transgender or have documents showing their sex is different from the one on their birth certificate.

If these people need to travel, the CAUT advises them to think carefully about what information they have on their electronic devices when crossing borders. They should protect sensitive information if needed.

The CAUT said that travelers going to or coming from Canada, especially those traveling to the U.S., may face checks at the border that could affect their research and academic freedom. They said that some travelers could be asked to allow their electronic devices to be searched. The group promised to keep updating their advice as the situation changes.

The CAUT also suggests that if possible, academic staff should think about attending meetings or events remotely instead of traveling in person.

The warning also mentions that U.S. border officers have been applying stricter checks, especially for people from certain ethnic or religious groups. This is part of the U.S. government’s rules and executive orders, which have caused some travelers to face problems.

For example, last month, a French scientist was not allowed to enter the U.S. simply because the person had shared a personal opinion about the Trump administration's research policy.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that they could not talk about specific cases but explained that everyone entering the U.S. is inspected based on their situation.

This new warning comes just a few weeks after the Canadian government updated its travel advice for people going to the U.S. It now says Canadians should expect more checks when entering the U.S., including searches of their electronic devices. The Canadian government also warned that if Canadians are denied entry into the U.S., they could be held at the border until they are sent back to Canada.