To: The President of the United States, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of State, and Members of Congress

On December 16, 2025, a presidential proclamation fully suspended the entry of Syrian nationals as immigrants and nonimmigrants.
This blanket policy is harming ordinary people—students, professionals, families, and Diversity Visa (DV) selectees—who have already followed U.S. rules, passed U.S. screening steps, and earned opportunities through education, work offers, and lawful immigration pathways.

We respectfully ask the U.S. Government to lift the blanket suspension on Syrians and replace it with targeted, evidence-based screening that protects national security without denying entire categories of people a fair chance.

Why this ban should be lifted:

1) Overstay data does not justify a blanket ban on Syrians

The proclamation cites visa overstay rates and states that, according to the Overstay Report, Syria had:

B-1/B-2 overstay rate: 7.09% 

F/M/J (students & exchange) overstay rate: 9.34%

To put that in context: in publicly discussed FY2023 DHS-based overstay data, four countries not subject to a full entry suspension had F/M/J “suspected in-country overstay” rates of 7.18%, 10.48%, 14.41%, and 18.55%—with a median of 12.45%.
That means Syria’s cited 9.34% student/exchange overstay rate is not an outlier compared to multiple countries whose nationals are not fully barred.

Also important: experts and DHS reporting caveats emphasize that “suspected in-country overstay” figures do not equal the number of people who remain unlawfully, because many later depart or change/extend status.

So even where overstay concerns exist, the right response is better targeting and compliance tools, not a blanket ban.

2) Historical U.S. data does not indicate that Syrian nationals pose an elevated security risk

One widely cited dataset on foreign-born terrorism in the United States (1975–2024) reports that for Syria there were:

2 foreign-born terrorists
0 murders
0 injuries

For comparison, the same table shows that several non-restricted origin countries had 5, 8, 8, 13, 16, and 19 foreign-born terrorists (median 10.5), with associated murders including 0, 0, 6, 17, 160.8, and 2354.8 (median 11.5) and injuries including 1, 125, 194, 264, 961, and 116,725.4 (median 229).

This does not mean any country should be banned; it means blanket nationality bans are a blunt tool, and Syria’s numbers in this dataset do not support treating Syrians as uniquely threatening.

3) Syrians contribute to the U.S. economy, science, healthcare, and culture

Syrians and Syrian-Americans have a long record of contributing to U.S. society and global innovation. Examples include:

• Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian immigrant—highlighting how immigrant stories can be deeply tied to American innovation and prosperity.
• Dina Katabi (born in Syria), MIT professor whose work improved wireless networking and enabled breakthroughs like through-wall motion sensing for medical applications
• Zaher Sahloul, physician and humanitarian leader (including leadership linked to the Syrian American Medical Society), contributing to medicine and humanitarian response.

A ban that blocks vetted Syrians also blocks the very people who become doctors, engineers, founders, researchers, and taxpayers in the United States.

4) The U.S. already has robust vetting tools—and can strengthen them without banning everyone

The U.S. visa system already uses multiple layers of screening and identity verification, including:

• Biometric screening (including ten fingerprints) for visa applicants
• Consular database name checks (CLASS) and watchlist vetting, with periodic Privacy Impact Assessment updates
• Enhanced vetting tools like DS-5535 (requested only when additional scrutiny is warranted), including extended travel/address/work history and social media identifiers

These systems support a safer, more precise approach: case-by-case review, expanded use of waivers, and risk-based screening—instead of a nationality-wide suspension.

Notably, the proclamation itself says Syria is “working to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States,” while still citing documentation concerns. That is exactly why the policy should evolve toward targeted solutions (document verification, biometrics, residency history, and individualized screening), not permanent blanket exclusion.

5) Many Syrians live outside Syria and can be vetted using residence history and documentation

Millions of Syrians have lived for years in third countries with legal residence, study records, employment records, and stable identity documents. This creates additional, practical vetting signals (long-term residence, prior visas, travel history, verified education/employment) that can be used to assess risk—especially for students and professionals.

6) The ban destroys lawful pathways for people who already earned them

Many Syrians have:

1. Won the DV Lottery
2. Received U.S. university admission letters
3. Earned job offers from U.S. companies and organizations

but will lose their chance due to a blanket ban, despite being exactly the kind of vetted, law-abiding applicants the U.S. immigration system is designed to select.

What we are asking for

We urge the U.S. Government to:

1. Lift the full suspension of entry for Syrian nationals, and restore standard, case-by-case adjudication.
2. Expand and publish transparent waiver guidance so consular posts can apply exceptions consistently and quickly.

Security and fairness are not mutually exclusive. The United States can remain safe while honoring its values by screening individuals—not excluding Syrians as a group. Behind every blocked visa is a student, a family member, or a skilled professional who followed the rules and simply asks to be judged on their own merits.