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The Travel Ban and the UMD Community

By: Juliana Demoraes

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- On January 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on
immigration that shook the political and legal world.

The order restricted Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee
admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or
otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria
and Yemen.

Many citizens are extremely taken aback. This order has caused chaos overseas, in mega
airports, the immigration system and in Trumps cabinet.

Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates right after she announced that the Justice
Department will not defend Trumps executive order on immigration. Yates did not believe that
the order was wise or just.

Trump viewed Yates announcement as betrayal and mentioned that yates was weak on borders
and very weak on illegal immigration.

Many cities have protested Trumps executive order. Federal judges in states like New York,
Massachusetts, and Virginia have obstructed part of this ban saying travelers at airports should
not be sent back to their home countries.

Soon after the executive order became national news, University of Marylands President
Wallace Loh, took to twitter to express how the university plans on dealing with this new
executive order.

He says, It's in our national interest to welcome talented students & scholars from all nations to
retain America's global leadership in #highered and We're assessing how this order may
impact members of #UMD community. My statement supporting them & their families:
https://president.umd.edu/public-statement-umd

Wallace Loh seems to have no support in Trumps executive order and wants to ensure that the
students at his university feel as though they are welcomed.

-MORE-
He says, On our campus, this executive order affects some 350 people. Most of them are
graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and visiting scholars. They are essential to UMD's
research mission. They are members of our campus family. To all of you, we pledge our full
support. This University is your University. You belong here. We stand with you.

Wallace Loh understands that this order has negatively affected many of his students. Because he
normally does not speak about political issues, it was a huge deal that he spoke out about the
executive order to express his disapproval.

He says, speak out when government actions are fundamentally antithetical to the core values
and missions of the institution, especially when they adversely impact many members of our
community.

It is extremely important that Wallace has comforted his students in this dark time.

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