The Washington Post (Jan. 29) – President Donald Trump’s executive order barring entry to the U.S. from refugees, migrants and foreign nationals from seven countries was quickly condemned across the science community. Several researchers who had left the U.S. for work or visits home were prevented from returning. Erfan Mohammadi says his fiancee, Farnaz Kabiri, is stuck in Iran, where they are both citizens. Mohammadi is a Ph.D. student studying chemical engineering at Illinois; Kabiri is working on her master’s degree in physics there.
Related story: DNAinfo Chicago (Feb. 6) – Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Monday joined her counterparts in 15 other states and the District of Columbia in support of a federal lawsuit that has halted President Donald Trump’s immigration and travel ban. The U. of I. has over 300 enrolled students from the affected countries and has already admitted 20 students for the fall 2017 term from those countries, according to the amicus brief.