University and other peer institutions file amicus brief against latest travel ban

The University, along with 30 other colleges, filed a friend of the court, or amicus, brief on Friday supporting the legal challenge to the newest travel ban issued by the Trump administration.

The new executive order, which was signed on March 6, is a revised attempt by the administration to prevent individuals from several Muslim majority countries from entering the United States. The countries affected are Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.

The latest travel ban differs from the previous one in that Iraq is no longer under the list of barred countries, existing visas will be honored, and the ban is no longer an absolute restriction. The White House stated that the Department of Homeland Security will be allowed to grant waivers on a case-by-case basis “if a foreign national demonstrates that his or her entry into the United States is in the national interest, will not pose a threat to national security, and that denying entry during the suspension period will cause undue hardship”.

Earlier this year, University President Christopher Eisgruber '83 and more than 40 other college leaders signed a public letter urging the administration to reconsider the first travel ban.

“The order specifically prevents talented, law-abiding students and scholars from the affected regions from reaching our campuses,” the letter reads. “... American higher education has benefited tremendously from this country's long history of embracing immigrants from around the world.”

There are currently 1,808 international students, both undergraduates and graduates, studying at the University, and roughly 50 students at the University are impacted by the recent executive order, according to a University press release.