<div dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify" id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-3b55bc11-f102-1913-9695-4a719164a0bf"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Dear fellow MIT Postdocs,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">On Friday, President Trump signed an Executive Order that restricts individuals from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia from entering the United States. The impact of this order is being covered extensively in the news and is being felt by many members of the MIT community. Even though the Massachusetts federal district court issued a temporary order that restrains the government from enforcing the Executive Order for seven days, the final outcome of this order is not yet known.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">The leadership of the MIT Postdoctoral Association supports the inclusion of all people regardless of national origin, citizenship, or religious views and considers this Executive Order to be against MIT values (</span><a href="http://www.mitvalues.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">www.mitvalues.org/</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">). Moreover, we believe that this policy is detrimental to scientific progress and research. Around two thirds of postdocs are international scholars. As Postdocs, we see the value of working alongside talented and diverse colleagues first hand, and thus have a responsibility to express our views.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Below are a few ways you may personally choose to take action:</span></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Academics Against Immigration Executive Order started a petition to oppose a potential permanent ban that you can sign and share:</span><a href="https://notoimmigrationban.com/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://notoimmigrationban.com/</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">There is a phonebanking event today being held at MIT in 50-340 from 1-5pm</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1593047820708823/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://www.facebook.com/events/1593047820708823/</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Get involved with 314action to help improve communication between scientists and government officials</span><a href="http://www.314action.org/home/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">http://www.314action.org/home/</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Consider running for office yourself in the near future or support someone you know</span><a href="https://www.runforsomething.net/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://www.runforsomething.net/</span></a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Sign up for the March for Science</span><a href="https://www.marchforscience.com/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline"> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://www.marchforscience.com/</span></a></p></li></ul><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">If you have specific concerns about your particular situation, please contact the International Scholars Office (</span><a href="mailto:ischo@mit.edu" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(17,85,204);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline">ischo@mit.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">).</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Sincerely,</span></p><br><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline">Augusto Tentori (President)  Kathrin Graetz (Vice President), and Thomas Matarazzo (Advocacy Committee Chair) on behalf of  The MIT Postdoctoral Association</span></div>