Harvard instructs International students to avoid Boston airport under heightened surveillance

Harvard University has issued a travel warning to international students, advising them to avoid entering the U.S. through the country's fifth-busiest airport, Boston's Logan International Airport, under heightened surveillance. The university would rather they enter the country through other entry points such as New York's JFK, Chicago O'Hare, or Los Angeles International Airport.

The instruction was said to be communicated on a special call organized by Harvard's international office and the Harvard Law School Immigration and Refugee Clinic, according to a Bloomberg report. The meeting was intended to walk students through any visa and immigration issues, particularly with increasing tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard.

During the call, Harvard staff advised that US State Department officials may review social media accounts in the visa application process. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers also have authority to search electronic devices such as telephones and laptops and deny entry for contents found. Posts that appear "pro-Palestinian," antisemitic, or anti-American can be suspicious. Staff warned that erasing information from devices before traveling can be an indicator of trouble as well.

Students from countries like China and Iran received additional guidance. Jason Corral, a staff attorney at Harvard Law School, cautioned Iranian students in particular to avoid Logan Airport, where they were allegedly more thoroughly screened. Students going abroad for research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or artificial intelligence were cautioned to exercise added discretion.

The suggestion follows in the wake of Harvard's latest court win—a temporary restraining order that kept the Trump administration from denying the university admission to international students. The university remains under heightened political scrutiny, with the administration having canceled over $2.6 billion in grant funding for research and challenging its tax-exempt status while condemning its diversity and academic policies.