The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is asking U.S. President Donald Trump to cancel his recent executive order to restrict entry and immigration to the U.S. from seven countries in the Middle East.
In a February 3 letter to Trump, SNMMI President Sally Schwarz wrote that the ban "will have a devastating impact on biomedical research, patient care, and health education." She added that the new restrictions "will limit collaboration with the international medical community, putting American patients, physicians, and researchers at a disadvantage."
The order covers immigration to the U.S. from seven countries in the Middle East: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The SNMMI communiqué follows a January 30 letter penned by International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), which stated that Trump's executive order could create complications for societies scheduled to hold meetings in the U.S. in the coming months. ISMRM is scheduled to hold its 2017 annual meeting in Honolulu from April 22-27. SNMMI's 2017 annual meeting runs from June 10-14 in Denver. The Society for Interventional Radiology (SIR) this week also expressed its concerns about the executive order.
"We appreciate the letters of concern that we have already received and ask that members affected by the restrictions contact us, so that we can assist where possible," Schwarz wrote to SNMMI members. "Many professional societies here in the United States, including SNMMI, are asking that this executive order be rescinded."
Schwarz went on to ask Trump to "rescind this executive order and develop policies that enhance security while preserving our ability to care for patients."
