Based on the Revised Executive Order that is planned to be signed by President Trump, traveling to the U.S. will become temporarily impossible for the citizens of certain majority Muslim countries. In addition to the widespread consequences of this order, the ban prohibits entrance to the U.S. for the students of the affected countries whose presence in the U.S. cannot be claimed as "unsafe" based on any evidence or data. This decision will negatively affect equal opportunities of education and contribution to the scientific research in the American academic society.

Every year thousands of international students with outstanding educational backgrounds and impressive research qualifications apply for top universities around the globe, particularly in the United States. Many of these applicants are among the exceptionally talented and top students of the affected nations. With the new Executive Order, the U.S. is closing its doors to these talents and their potentials, and also depriving them from the chance of pursuing their education based on their nationality.

Furthermore, hundreds of students and researchers from the affected countries travel to the U.S. annually. Many of these students have proved to have significant accomplishments in the American research and development. Iran alone, has more than 8800 co-authored publications between 2011 and 2015 (1), and ranks as the 11th largest source of international students in the U.S. (2). These facts and the signed letter by more than 31000 U.S. faculty members (3) also show the importance of such researchers, who do not have a single record of posing any threat to the American society and have always identified themselves as productive individuals who love America and have effectively contributed to it in various arenas of science.

We would like to kindly ask the media, lawyers, people, and universities all around the world to stand with thousands of international students affected by the possible Executive Order, which is affecting current and prospective students' academic goals, careers, and family lives. In particular, we would like to ask the U.S. universities to keep faith with spreading the message of equal chances of education for all nations, by supporting the students and applicants from the affected countries and prevent distribution of the alarming ripple effects of the ban that can threat values like equity, for which individuals and champions of all nations have heroically striven for centuries.

1: https://timeshighereducation.com/news/trump-travel...
2: http://iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Door...
3: https://notoimmigrationban.com