Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
Following yesterday’s announcement of a new executive order imposing a 90-day ban on citizens of six countries entering the U.S., we want to provide a brief overview of the details of the new order and the university’s response.
The new executive order, set to take effect on March 16, 2017, suspends the issuance of new visas for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days. Individuals from those six countries who are outside the United States as of March 16, and do not already hold a valid visa, will likely be affected. The new order specifically exempts U.S. legal permanent residents and many dual citizens. For further detailed information on the new executive order and how it may impact you, please see the International Education Services (IES) website.
While the new executive order is more limited in scope than the first travel ban issued in late January 2017, we are still deeply troubled by the significant impact it will have on higher education. As we have said before, one of American higher education’s great strengths is its ability to bring together the best minds from around the world to create scholarly communities that benefit from diversity of experience, background, and thought. UMBC is home to students, faculty, and staff from more than 100 countries, and we understand the educational, societal, and economic benefits of bringing together people from across the globe to solve our most pressing challenges.
The previous executive order faced legal challenges, and this remains a highly fluid situation. Those who are citizens of the six countries affected by the new executive order should seek legal advice before making a decision about traveling outside the United States. IES will continue to post updated information regarding implementation of the executive order on its website and keep members of the campus community apprised of the situation as it evolves.
We also will continue to keep the campus updated about our work to advance UMBC’s culture of inclusive excellence on the UMBC Diversity and Inclusion website.
President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous
