How Is the Immigration Ban Impacting Your Organization?

Since it was signed last Friday, President Trump’s recent executive order titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” has generated a significant amount of confusion throughout varying levels of Federal bureaucracy responsible for implementation. One section that impacts arts organizations and the communities they serve is the immediate ban on people hailing from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The story is in a rapid state of development and although the initial implementation was supposed to bar legal residents with green cards if they traveled outside the United States and only allow re-entry on a case by case basis, the White House backed down on that provision Sunday afternoon.

Until the issue is decided in courts and/or Congress, international travel has been disrupted to a considerable degree.

For performing arts organizations, this could mean guest artists from countries on the ban list (even those with dual citizenship) would not be allowed to enter the US and have to cancel appearances.

The impact reaches deeper in that organizations engaging in international touring must now be concerned about stranding artists or administrators hailing from countries on the ban list if they are barred admission upon the organization’s return.

What I’m interested in doing today is gathering first-hand accounts from arts organizations and individual arts managers and artists who have been or expect to be adversely impacted by the President’s executive order.

I want to learn more about what you’re going through and if there’s anything you can share that would help your colleagues and the field as a whole.

To that end, please take a moment to leave a comment below or reach out via email. The more we can document and share, the better.