Dear friends and members,

We wanted to update you on the rapidly developing situation involving president Trump's most recent executive order.

As many of you know, last Friday evening, Mr. Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) banning nationals of seven Muslim majority countries from entering into the U.S. The ban was broadly applied to U.S. permanent residents, dual nationals, immigrant and non-immigrant visa holders, and refugees - and set certain immigration priorities for non-Muslims within those countries. A more detailed summary of the EO can be found here.

Almost instantly, the effects of the ban were felt across the country and the world. Examples of those who were prohibited from returning to the U.S., or detained upon their return, included individuals such as professionals working lawfully in the U.S. for years and returning from work trips abroad, and permanent residents (green card holders) with citizen infants who were returning from vacations. It even appears that some people were being coerced into voluntarily withdrawing their visa and residency applications to be released from detention.

The public response and outcry was swift. Calls and emails were placed with government officials, and protesters poured into airports across the U.S. to support those detained and condemn the EO. Along with the protesters, numerous attorneys - including numerous IABA members from the East Coast to the West Coast - went to airports to help represent and release those detained.

During the same time, multiple lawsuits were filed to help secure the release of those detained, which in some states were disproportionately of Iranian descent. District court responses were universally positive. Federal judges in New York, Virginia, and Seattle blocked portions of the EO (primarily applying to permanent residents en route or in the U.S. when the EO took effect); and another federal court in Boston granted a broader stay for all permanent residents, lawful visa holders, and permitted refugees for a seven day period. A list of currently lawsuits pending can be found here.

The good news is that our efforts are paying off. The administration has now said the EO will not prohibit permanent residents from returning to the country (though it may apply additional scrutiny on such people upon their return). Many politicians, including some Republicans, have come out against the EO. And some law enforcement and security personnel have gone on the record criticizing the EO and saying that it does not make us safer.

Our members' response to this national emergency has been truly impressive. From New York and DC, to Los Angeles and San Francisco, many IABA members gave their time and came to help those unlawfully detained. In some airports, there were as many lawyers as there were protestors. Our members, and coalition allies, helped identify those who were en route or being detained, pushed to see and represent those individuals, and helped secure their release. We worked with airport authorities, answered questions of concerned friends and family members, and attempted to bring some order to the chaos. Due a lawsuit in Los Angeles, in which the IABA joined the efforts spearheaded by the ACLU and other coalition organizations, multiple detainees (including those of Iranian descent) were released from LAX shortly after we filed (click here to see the lawsuit). And some of our members have also been in the press, to try and educate the public about the EO, and its effects. For one example, click here. These efforts (along with the good work of other organizations) have helped reunite families and return people to their lives. It has been truly awe inspiring.

However, despite these limited successes, the majority of the EO remains in place. Holders of lawful work, student, and other visas, who were vetted and granted such visas, are still prohibited from coming to the U.S.; as are vulnerable refugees whose lives are in danger. As members of the bar, and of the Iranian American community, we are uniquely suited to respond to this challenge. Together, with our coalition allies (such as the ACLU, AILA, and others) we are literally an army of lawyers, and our efforts make concrete differences in people's lives.

Please join our efforts. We urge you to take as many of these steps as you can:

In the interim, we will continue to: (1) monitor the situation, (2) provide you with information regarding the EO and its impact, (3) track and identify those being detained or refused entry/reentry into the U.S., (4) join or file lawsuits, or take other actions, as appropriate to help those who are detained or refused entry, (5) work with a coalition of other bar associations and Iranian-American organizations; and (6) explore all possible legal challenges to the EO.

IABA National Board