American Civil Liberties Union

Professor Adam Habib

Currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Innovation and Advancement at the University of Johannesburg , Adam Habib is a world-renowned researcher, scholar, and political commentator. He is an expert on issues of democracy, governance, race, and South African politics, public policy, and social movements. Professor Habib is also a vocal critic of various aspects of U.S. foreign policy, including the war in Iraq . Habib was a frequent traveler to the U.S. and earned a degree from the City University of New York. But when he arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in October 2006, Customs and Border officials revoked Professor Habib's visa without explanation. As a result, Habib was unable to attend scheduled meetings with U.S.-based scholars and representatives from U.S. and international agencies, universities, and foundations.

Last May, Habib applied for a new visa that would allow him to travel to the U.S. to attend speaking engagements, including the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in August 2007, but the government did not process his application in time for him to attend. He has received a number of invitations to speak at upcoming events in the U.S. but the government still has not processed his application. The case, American Sociological Association v. Chertoff, is being litigated before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.