On Aug. 2, Taha Tariq ’28, a British citizen, was denied reentry to the U.S. for an “unclear” reason, senior vice president for community and campus life Jennifer Rosales wrote in an email addressed to sophomores on Aug. 5. Tariq remains in Canada, according to Rosales.
On Sunday, many members of the Class of 2028 returned to Hanover from the Osheaga music festival in Montreal — the end of a sophomore summer tradition organized by several Greek organizations. Immigration officials stopped Tariq’s car, which included three other students, at the U.S.-Canada border for “several hours” before the three unnamed students returned to the U.S., Rosales wrote.
Tariq does not yet have representation, but Richard Petty of Holland and Knight is overseeing media communication for his case. Holland and Knight does not conduct interviews “when litigation is expected.”
“Based upon our initial analysis, we have concluded that Mr. Tariq should have been allowed to re-enter the United States on Sunday and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection lacked proper grounds to deny re-entry,” Petty wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth on Friday afternoon. “We intend to determine all of Mr. Tariq’s legal options and pursue the necessary legal remedies to establish his eligibility for prompt re-entry.”
The College “ensured” Tariq has an immigration attorney and “comfortable” accommodations in Canada, according to Rosales.
“Taha’s well-being and his ability to continue pursuing his education without interruption are at the heart of our mission,” she added.
College spokesperson Kathryn Kennedy wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth that Tariq “reviewed and approved” Rosales’s email “before it was sent to his Class of 2028 peers.”
To partake in the annual Montreal trip with their peers, some international students must take extra precautions.
“The Osheaga festival was not a Dartmouth-led trip, but the Office of Immigration and Visa Services provides extensive resources on their website — including travel guidance,” Kennedy wrote. “Both OVIS and the International Student Experience Office are also in regular contact with the members of our international community.”
On Aug. 8, Dartmouth student body president Ikenna Nwafor ’27 and vice president Maggie de la Fuente ’27 wrote in an email to undergraduates that DSG “appreciate[s] the College’s responsiveness to this situation so far and will continue to advocate for every available measure to support Taha and our international community.”
“This news hits especially close to home for us because Taha has served on DSG as General House Senator since his freshman fall,” they wrote. “While we do not know why Taha is not allowed to return to the United States, we as representatives of the student body are here to support him and all students during this time. International students are an integral part of Dartmouth’s community, and we are actively working with administrators to ensure that Taha and all students have the resources they need to navigate these types of situations.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not comment by time of publication.
Update appended (Aug. 8, 3:31 p.m.): This article was updated to include a statement from Dartmouth Student Government.
Correction appended (Aug. 16, 9:19 p.m): This article erroneously stated that Richard Petty is Taha Tariq's attorney. He is overseeing media communication, but not representing him in his case.
Iris WeaverBell ’28 is a reporter and editor. She is from Portland, Ore., and is majoring in economics and minoring in public policy.
