Letter to the community: Update regarding Executive Order, noon rally in Lobby 7

The following email was sent today to the MIT community by Provost Martin A. Schmidt, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart, and Vice President for Research Maria T. Zuber. 

To the members of the MIT community:
 
Yesterday afternoon, we wrote to you about President Trump's executive order restricting people from seven countries from entering the United States. We write now with an important update and with new guidance to directly affected members of the MIT community.
 
Update

Early this morning, the Massachusetts federal district court issued a temporary order that restrains the government from enforcing the Executive Order to detain or remove holders of a valid visa or green card who travel from the seven countries to the US through Logan Airport. This order is in effect for the next 7 days.
 
The seven affected countries are: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
 
New guidance from MIT

If you are a directly affected member of the MIT community who is currently traveling outside the United States and you wish to return to campus, we encourage you to fly back to Boston--directly to Logan Airport--as as soon as possible, and before February 4.
 
The MIT administration is helping members of our community who we know to be traveling, including connecting them to legal resources.
 
If you are from one of the seven affected countries and are not already in touch with us, please reach out. You can email David Elwell, Associate Dean and Director of the International Students Office, or Penny Rosser, Director of the International Scholars Office. We will do what we can to help you get back to campus.
 
Noontime rally

Students have organized a gathering in Lobby 7 for today at noon, ahead of a rally in Copley Square opposing the executive order. Faculty chair Krishna Rajagopal has emailed all faculty inviting them to attend: with this note, we invite the broader MIT community to join in a show of support for MIT’s values.
 
We will send further updates as necessary.
 
Sincerely,
Martin A. Schmidt
Cynthia Barnhart
Maria T. Zuber

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