No Conference Tote Bag is Worth This: An Analysis of Academic Border Resistance

Beginning in January 2025, increasingly restrictive border control measures between Canada and the United States have substantially altered the contingencies governing academic mobility. The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) 2025 Advisory on Travel to the United States is an indication of how enhanced surveillance, electronic device searches, and differential treatment of travelers, based on their national origin, political views, research topics, or gender identity, function as aversive control at international borders. We examine these border mechanisms through a behavior science lens, demonstrating how they function to constrain academic freedom and mobility. By understanding these dynamics through a culturo-behavior science lens, academic institutions can develop effective collective responses that maintain scholarly productivity while protecting vulnerable community members and supporting advances in scholarship.