ASIS&T Press Release

On January 30, the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) President, Lynn Silipigni Connaway, and the ASIS&T Board of Directors expressed deep concern over President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order requiring a 90-day suspension of visas to nationals of seven nations. ASIS&T joins countless organizations in urging the lifting of the visa suspension. Moreover, ASIS&T’s Information Ethics and Policy Special Interest Group (SIG IEP) unconditionally supports this announcement, which may be downloaded here.

For 80 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information, the free flow of ideas, and ethical practices of information provision for the benefit of humankind. Its members include thousands of researchers, developers, practitioners, students, and professors in the field of information science and technology of which a large number are citizens of over 50 countries around the world. Collectively, ASIS&T members share and uphold the values of open exchange of ideas as well as the freedom of thought, expression and movement that are central to any functioning society.

The United States has long benefitted from the scientific, cultural, and economic contributions of international students and scholars. The Information Science field has been strengthened by the presence of students and researchers from around the globe, including those from the seven countries specifically targeted by the U.S. President’s executive order. We value the contributions of our colleagues working and teaching in the United States and overseas and appreciate the rich diversity of our global membership and the significance of intellectual exchange across borders. Indeed, the social and economic benefits of advancements in science, technology and innovation have been well documented. Accordingly, we respectfully urge President Trump and his administration to reconsider this decision.