ASBMT Official Statement Opposing Executive Order on Immigration
Arlington Heights, IL (PRWEB) February 02, 2017 -- President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO) proposing a 90-day suspension of visas and other immigration benefits to all nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, all countries with majority Muslim populations. We hope that this order does not evolve into a permanent ban.
The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) opposes this EO, because it is discriminatory, contrary to our national health and security interests, and it imposes specific limits on communities that comprise our membership and are cared for by our membership.
Blood and marrow transplants are performed around the world, and the diseases treated by these transplants occur in patients regardless of their ethnicity, national origin or religious beliefs. Among other impacts, ASBMT members and their patients will be affected in the following ways:
• Patients from these countries, and caregivers or family members of United States citizens and residents, may be unable to travel to the United States for transplant care. Potential family donors for transplant patients in the United States may be unable to travel to donate lifesaving cells.
• Health care providers and researchers may be restricted in their ability to travel to and from affected countries to participate in medical conferences dedicated to the advancement of science and human health. These medical conferences are critical for the dissemination of scientific and clinical information and the education of health care providers and researchers in the field of transplantation and cellular therapy worldwide.
The ASBMT is a fundamentally apolitical and nonpartisan professional society. The decision to oppose this EO is based on our founding principles and our goal of advancing the scientific and professional interests of our members, and the health of our patients and their communities.
Please address questions regarding this statement to Dan Kotheimer, ASBMT Communications Manager, at 847-725-2317 or email DanKotheimer(at)asbmt(dot)org.
Dan Kotheimer, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, http://www.asbmt.org, +1 (847) 725-2317, [email protected]
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