The 33-year-old leading lady wrote on Twitter, "Trump’s visa ban for Iranians is racist. Whether this will include a cultural event or not, I won’t attend the #AcademyAwards 2017 in protest."
— Taraneh Alidoosti (@t_alidoosti) January 26, 2017
In coming days Trump will reportedly sign an executive order barring immigrants from Muslim-majority countries in Africa and the Middle East, including Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Iran, Syria, Somalia and Sudan, making good on a campaign promise to "suspend immigration from regions linked with terrorism until a proven vetting method is in place."
Under a draft executive order, visa applications from these countries are expected to be suspended for at least a month. The US refugee program would also be suspended for four months under the draft, while officials compile a list of countries considered to be low risk.
Realizing the racial and ethnic implications of such a plan, Trump told ABC News that the ban would address countries that deal with "tremendous terror" as opposed to a "Muslim ban."
"The Salesman" is nominated for best foreign language film at next month’s Academy Awards, and was directed by Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian by birth.
On Wednesday Trump signed orders directing the building of an almost 2000-mile wall along the Mexican border, as an attempt to stem the tide of undocumented immigrants. He asserted that the move "will improve safety in both countries," adding that, "A nation without borders is not a nation. Starting today, the US gets back control of its borders."
"This will help dismantle cartels, keeping illegal weapons and cash from flowing out of American and into Mexico," the President said.