IAS Statement regarding travel bans
January 30, 2017
The International and Area Studies Program at Northwestern University is staffed by academics and administrators with expertise in all aspects of international affairs. In our professional capacities we engage in scholarship and conversation about global issues, including US domestic and foreign relations.
The recent decisions of the US government to seriously impede or entirely forbid travel to the US for large numbers of people based only on their national identity is a tremendous mistake and a violation of their basic human rights and dignity.
The executive order signed on January 27, 2017, appears to violate many existing US laws as well as parts of the US Constitution. It is contrary to American values and to basic human decency. It is also tremendously counter-productive as it creates enemies and offends friends around the world.
We oppose and condemn these new policies and support those seeking to overturn them.
Prof. Ian Hurd
Department of Political Science and Director of the International Studies Program
Prof. Rajeev Kinra
Department of History and Director of the Asian Studies Program
Prof. Paul Gillingham
Department of History Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program
Bianca R. Jimenez
Assistant Director of International and Area Studies
Parth Joshi
Program Assistant for International and Area Studies
Prof. Brian Edwards
Department of English and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Mark Hauser
Department of Anthropology and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Daniel Immerwahr
Department of History and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Emily Maguire
Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. J. Michelle Molina
Department of Religious Studies and Department of History and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Wendy Pearlman
Department of Political Science and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Galya Ben-Arieh Ruffer
Director, Center for Forced Migration Studies at Buffett Institute for Global Studies and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Debra Thompson
Department of African-American Studies and Advisory Board for International Studies
Prof. Mark Witte
Department of Economics and Advisory Board for International Studies
January 30, 2017