Iowa State President Steven Leath said Monday that the university is concerned with President Trump’s executive order suspending immigration from seven predominately Muslim countries saying that it might “unnecessarily interfere with members of our campus community.”

The countries currently affected by the executive order include: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. 

In a statement from Leath he said that the university’s primary focus as of now is the “direct, adverse impact the order has had on three persons connected with Iowa State.”

The executive order was signed Friday by Trump and has made waves across the United States, as many have initiated protests against the ban.

Ahead of Leath’s statement, Interim Director with the International Student and Scholars Office Deb Vance sent an email to Iowa State community members specifically affected by the ban that they should remain in the United States unless “absolutely necessary.”

“You are a valued and important member of the Iowa State community and we want to make sure that you get the support you need at this challenging time,” Vance said in the email.

Leath’s statement advised students to check the ISSO page for up-to-date information directly and will also be posting information on their immigration updates page.

“In coordination with ISSO and university legal counsel, we are advising all nationals from the affected countries currently at Iowa State to consult immigration counsel and carefully evaluate these issues prior to traveling internationally at this time,” Leath said.

To better understand the immigration ban, Leath said Iowa State is in coordination with the international programs staff, immigration experts, legal counsel and peer universities to “fully understand the implications of the new federal policies.”

Humza Malik, president of the Muslim Students Association (MSA), weighed in on Leath’s statement: 

“It is nice to see that [President Leath] is responding, but it was vague. Iowa State has not contacted [the Muslim Students Association] personally, but ISSO has and that makes them stand out more. [The MSA] doesn’t really feel the university has our back if anything happens.” 

“As a result, we will continue to work with leading national higher education organizations to advocate for immigration policies that protect national security, but also promote and safeguard the international relationships and people who are core to our success as an institution of higher education and as a nation,” he said. 

Governor Terry Branstad also commented on the travel ban Monday supporting Trump’s executive order.

He also added that those who are from one of those seven countries and are currently in the United States should have nothing to worry about.

He does warn these people that coming back into the country may be an issue if they chose to travel abroad.

“If you’re an American citizen, it is different than if you are just here and part of our problem is people that are here that overstay their visas,” Branstad said. “You may recall some of the tragic terrorist actions we’ve had where people who were here who overstayed their visas.” 

Update: Student Body President Cole Staudt and Vice President Cody West stated their opposition to the Immigration Ban Tuesday. 

Staudt urged President Trump to revise his order to allow members of the Iowa State community to return to school. West expressed the injustice of 100 Iowa State students unable to visit loved ones and return to the U.S.

“These students pose no more of a security threat to the country than I do,” Staudt said. “I call on the Iowa State community to support those affected by this action and all those who are affected by racism and hate on a daily basis.”