APS Among Science Organizations Disagreeing With Travel Ban

APS has joined nearly 180 other scientific organizations and academic institutions that have urged President Trump to rescind his Executive Order temporarily barring citizens from seven countries from entering the United States. (The Trump administration said February 16 that it would rewrite the order after the federal judiciary stalled it from being enforced.)

In a letter addressed to Trump and dated February 10, the organizations – representing a broad spectrum of scientific and academic disciplines – say the order will hamper the ability of many scientists and engineers in academia and industry from entering, leaving, or returning to the United States.

The organizations state that they “stand ready to assist you in crafting an immigration and visa policy that advances US prosperity and ensures strong borders while staying true to foundational American principles as a nation of immigrants.”

The organizations argue that the order will compromise the United States’ ability to attract international scientific talent and maintain scientific and economic leadership.

“The international flow of ideas and collaborations among scientists is a strong priority for APS,” said APS Executive Director Sarah Brookhart. “Psychological science is a global enterprise, and our members’ efforts to address a variety of societal issues depends on the interaction of scientists from various nationalities, cultures, and disciplines.”

The order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”, temporarily bars citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the country. But the action has been suspended pending legal appeals, which could work their way to the US Supreme Court.