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Medical societies: Immigration executive order could threaten progress against cancer, blood diseases
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Several of the nation’s leading cancer organizations expressed concern regarding the Trump administration’s executive order to deny U.S. entry to individuals who bring “unique expertise to the practice of medicine and the conduct of cancer and biomedical research,” according to a joint statement issued today.
“Our nation depends on the contributions of the greatest minds from around the world to maintain the high quality of our biomedical research enterprise and health care services,” the statement reads.
The joint statement — issued by ASH, American Association for Cancer Research, Association of American Cancer Institutes, American Society for Radiation Oncology, The American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and the LUNGevity Foundation — follows President Donald J. Trump’s executive order to severely restrict immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, suspending all refugee admission for 120 days, and barring all Syrian refugees indefinitely.
The ban includes citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen from entering the U.S. on any visa category.
The societies’ statement also noted the potential loss of competitive research in the United States over time which, in turn, may negatively affect research institutions and their patients.
“We remain deeply concerned that restricting travel will prohibit participation in scientific meetings, where cutting-edge science and treatment methods are often first introduced,” the organizations wrote. “These in-person meetings and other global exchanges are vitally important because they provide unparalleled opportunities for collaborations and information-sharing. Such scientific and medical meetings are absolutely essential to the conquest of cancer and blood diseases.”
In addition, the executive order could deny entry or reentry to a vast number of medical students and physicians who are being trained in the United States and are delivering direct patient care. For example, one-quarter of physicians practicing in the U.S. are international medical graduates, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
“Therefore, we respectfully call on the Administration to consider the negative impact of its executive order on our nation’s ability to attract the world’s best scientific and clinical talent to participate in the fight against cancer and blood diseases, irrespective of their country of origin,” the statement concluded. “This includes those immigrants who are inspired by the opportunity to bring their scientific curiosity and intellect to our country.” – by Kristie L. Kahl