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The eight universities in the Ivy League have joined nine other major research universities, including the University of Chicago, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, in filing an amicus brief in a court challenge levied by the New York state attorney general and others opposing President Trump’s executive order temporarily barring entry by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries and of refugees. A temporary restraining order upheld by an appellate court in a separate legal challenge on Thursday prohibits the Trump administration from enforcing the entry ban.

“While the executive order is currently limited to seven countries, its damaging effects have already been widely felt by American universities,” the brief states. “When the executive order went into effect, the 90-day suspension of entry left some of amici’s students, faculty and scholars stranded abroad, while others were unable to leave the United States to travel to their home countries or elsewhere for field research, academic meetings and family and personal obligations. Prospectively, the order threatens amici’s ability to attract the best students, faculty and scholars from throughout the globe, who depend on the ability to leave and return to this country. The uncertainty generated by the order and its implementation is already having negative impacts well beyond persons from the seven affected countries. People from all over the world are understandably anxious about having their visas prematurely canceled through no fault of their own. Individuals scheduled to attend academic conferences are uncertain whether they can attend, and many may have to cancel. Comments by high-ranking executive branch officials have suggested that the order could be extended to other countries, heightening institutional anxiety.”