For the next 90 days, nearly all travelers, except U.S. citizens, traveling from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen will be temporarily suspended from entry to the United States. The 90 day period will allow for proper review and establishment of standards to prevent terrorist or criminal infiltration by foreign nationals.
This comes straight from the United States Homeland Security site. Although this 90 day ban won’t stretch out until champs, will this effect any FRC teams located outside of the US traveling in for regionals? I don’t know for sure but I don’t think that there are many FRC teams if any at all in those countries. I’m not exactly sure but I assume that there are a few FLL or FTC teams in these countries. How will this effect the FIRST community going forward in the future? I believe this hurts the chances of students and people in those countries that want to start FIRST teams let alone travel to the US for regionals/champs.
Even if there are not FRC teams in those countries directly, the way everything is headed and working right now will cause problems for people from many more countries.
Even more so, I’m not sure that if I came from a non-English speaking country I would feel so welcomed here right now (don’t get me wrong - I’d love to have you here).
The new edict may also affect many visitors from other countries as well. IIRC, visitors to the US from many other countries will be required to interview at our consulates in person to get their visas…possibly adding considerable time and cost for visa processing as foreigners may have to travel great distances to find one of our consulates to interview at.
The 90 day ban does extend until world champs. The first day of St. Louis (April 26) is 88 days after the ban (assuming effective Jan 28). So the ban extends to all of Houston champs and until the very last day of St. Louis.
The reason why I know this is because I’m a dual citizen of Canada and Iran so when this news broke I thought I wasn’t going to be able to attend champs. But it was later announced that Canadian dual citizens would not be effected so at least there’s that.
Thankfully, no countries that are home to any FRC teams are on the ban list so I don’t think we’ll see a case where a whole team is unable to go because of the ban.
If some teams will be unable to compete purely because of this, either competitions need to be pushed back or teams protest the ban, especially when competitions start. FIRST is about having a level playing field, and if the playing field will not be level, we need to all work to make it level.
Competition dates won’t change. There’s way too much involved in scheduling locations (Other weekends are most likely already full throughout the competition season), cost for teams that have already booked hotel and travel, and overall planning for the entire season, including shipping logistics for the fields. It’s just too late to reasonably make changes.
The rules FIRST produces go towards making a level playing field by ensuring production time and cost of robots is roughly equal, but they don’t make it completely level. Teams with the resources to make practice robots have a benefit over those who don’t. Teams that have no snow days during the season have a benefit over those that are locked out of their school. Teams with a local even have a benefit over those that have to drive/fly and stay in a hotel. Teams with events in their country have a benefit over those that have to take a robot through customs (We’ve actually seen customs officials arbitrarily make teams disassemble parts of their robot and use separate bags for the different parts, requiring extensive reassembly time at the event). And then there’s a difference for teams in districts versus regionals.
Yes, if any teams are affected by this it really sucks. I wish I could do something for them. But we can’t let that stop the season for the other 3000 teams out there.
This topic has the potential to explode into politics, but we are in an extraordinary time. My team includes undocumented students and middle-eastern immigrants, and there is legitimate concern about travel plans, since we intend to fly to Utah and Houston. We may have to divide the team up into flyers and drivers based on nation of origin. As the President would say, SAD.
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to help those teams affected in some way. Just because the playing field is a little uneven doesn’t mean that we should just make it even more uneven.
Elements of this executive order were obviously poorly considered. (Some will find this an understatement :]) Expect it to change as the ramifications get fully explored. In other words: it is too early to tell.
Everyone is limited in what they can do based on the demands already placed on them. I did what I could in November, but it apparently didn’t matter. I do what I can to support groups with causes I believe in, which includes donating over 600 hours of my time and thousands of dollars every year to FIRST. Wishing there was something I could do for a hypothetical team halfway across the world isn’t"half" - it’s simply saying that there’s nothing I can actually *do *to help them in this situation. I can’t smuggle them into the country. I can’t countermand an executive order. I’m not personally harmed by the order, so I have no grounds to take the issue to court. My state Senators and my congressional district representative have already come out publicly against the ban, so calling them for action isn’t going to do any good.
Exactly what is it you think I’m supposed to do? What is it you think I actually CAN do?
Your teams situation in addition to the multitude of political issues affecting FIRST globally sounds like an exciting and inspirational idea for a sequel to The New Cool.
I believe FLL will take the largest hit as a result of the ban . I hope the FIRST blog covers this, (I hope FIRST addresses this formally before champs).
Thanks for the clarification on the effect on champs, I hope FLL (or any other progression of FIRST) teams in those countries will be able to attend champs . I’m also glad that you will still be able to attend champs! I’m glad that no full FRC teams will be effected in travel because of the ban this season but, I hope that if and when FRC expands to those places that they will be given the respect and right to compete that they deserve.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on this thread in case it needs to be closed, but I’m very glad to see that the conversation so far has been constructive rather than political bickering.
That has been officially stated, however the actual wording of the executive order is not the same as that pronouncement. There have already been (specifically) Canadian - Iranian dual citizens not allowed entry to the U.S. So plan ahead.
Join the protests. Contact your Representatives and your Senators by email as well as by phone urging them specifically to take tangible action against this.
. I hope the