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Senator raises deportation concerns as Bunker Hill pauses study-abroad program
Summary
A senator said recent detentions and deportations — including a Brown University professor and a traveler detained at Logan — are prompting institutions to suspend programs and are raising questions about the application of immigration law.
A Senator said recent detentions and deportations are prompting concern for lawful residents and universities, citing a Brown University professor who was deported, a man from New Hampshire detained at Logan and Bunker Hill Community College’s decision to pause its international study-abroad program.
The senator said, “We have laws that we follow, and they apply to everyone,” adding that following those laws is both humane and a matter of public safety: “That is not only the humane thing to do. It’s actually a bridge that keeps us all safe.”
A moderator opened the exchange by listing recent incidents and asking for the senator’s reaction: “Senator, on immigration, we have a professor from Brown University who was deported. We had a gentleman from New Hampshire who was detained at Logan. Bunker Hill Community College is putting its international study abroad program on hold because it's afraid that something could could happen to students that won't be able to get back into the country while they're studying abroad. What's your reaction to that?” The senator responded that authorities should follow the law and that arbitrary or politically motivated removals would undermine safety and democratic norms.
During the discussion an interjector briefly added: “That is not only the humane thing to do.” The senator framed the issue as both a legal and democratic one, saying that if an executive could remove people selectively — “if Donald Trump just gets to be king and says, I don't like you or I don't like your attitude, so we're out” — then “nobody is safe.”
The forum did not record any formal proposals or votes related to immigration policy or institutional decisions; the accounts cited were described as examples prompting concern. The senator urged adherence to existing legal processes and emphasized the potential chilling effect on international students and scholars when institutions pause programs.
No additional details about the Brown University case, the New Hampshire traveler’s circumstances, or the length or scope of Bunker Hill Community College’s pause were specified in the remarks.
