Yale, other universities file brief opposing revised travel ban

Yale and 30 other universities have filed a friend-of-the-court (amicus curiae) brief with a federal court hearing a challenge to the executive order issued by President Trump on March 6 suspending the entry into the United States of nationals from six Muslim-majority countries.

The brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit states: “Recognizing the invaluable contributions of international, students, faculty, staff, and scholars, amici make significant efforts to attract the most talented individuals from around the globe. The Executive Order at issue here, like its predecessor, threatens amici’s ability to continue to attract these individuals and thus to meet their goals of educating tomorrow’s leaders.”

The schools that joined the brief also argued that international students and faculty make significant scientific, technological, social, and political contributions to the United States and the world. The schools noted that the international students and scholars make significant contributions to the nation’s economy.

The schools concluded in their brief by saying “safety and security concerns can be addressed in a manner that is consistent with the values America has always stood for, including the free flow of ideas across borders and the welcoming of immigrants to our universities.”

The plaintiffs in the case, who are being supported in the schools’ brief, include the International Refugee Assistance Project. They are appealing a lower court ruling upholding the Trump administration’s executive order.

Read the brief.