February 2017

This week, the ATS joined several other internal medicine organizations in a letter to the Trump Administration expressing strong concerns about President Trump's Executive Orders that restricted travel from seven majority Muslim nations.  The letter explained that the executive order would significantly disrupt the research and education of students from those countries who attend U.S. universities.  It also noted that patients from those nations seeking care in the U.S. would be harmed and further noted how the executive order would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Syria and other nations.

Finally, the organizations called upon the Department of Homeland Security to become actively engaged in alleviating the situation:

"Until or unless the executive order is completely rescinded or permanently blocked, it is essential that DHS move forward to ensure that restrictions on physicians and medical students are not reimposed, and that priority is given to refugees with medical conditions needing treatment."

Earlier this week, a federal court stayed implementation of the Trump Executive Orders on immigration while later in the week, a federal appeals court upheld the lower court's decision.  It is expected that the courts, and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court, will make the final determination on the Trump Executive Orders.