The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday rescinded its decision to require international students to transfer or leave the country if their colleges or universities held classes entirely online because of the pandemic.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus joined the other three University of Colorado campuses in applauding the withdrawn ICE directive regarding international students.
"We join our higher education partners in welcoming the news of the withdrawal of the ICE directive regarding international student visas,” said CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman. "The studies, research and clinical care on this campus are only enhanced by the backgrounds and experiences brought by our international students. We continue to welcome and support them as we maintain our focus on educating and empowering the next generation of health science leaders."
‘The studies, research and clinical care on this campus
are only enhanced by the backgrounds and
experiences brought by our international students.’
– CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman
University of Colorado President Mark Kennedy expressed relief at the news.
"We are happy with today’s announcement reversing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ruling that may have negatively impacted our international students. It will ensure that international students at the University of Colorado will be able to continue their educational journeys. We were also pleased to work with our national partner organizations on the effort and coordinate efforts among our colleague institutions in Colorado. This is important to our state and to higher education.”
Kennedy and the chancellors of the four campuses issued a statement earlier in the day supporting international students. The president and the chancellors called upon the Department of Homeland Security to allow international students taking fully online classes this fall to remain in the United States.
The university’s statement is as follows:
“The University of Colorado is joining our national higher education associations (through the American Council on Education), as well as Colorado colleges and universities and peers nationally, to request the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw the July 6 Immigration and Customs Enforcement directive regarding international students. The university is also reviewing opportunities to join amicus briefs.
“International students are critical and valued members of the University of Colorado community, and the concern and confusion the ruling has caused – particularly amid the uncertainty of the pandemic – hurts our international students and our communities. We are carefully and deliberately planning a safe reopening of our campuses in the fall, and ask that international students with a valid visa be allowed to continue their educational journeys.”
The university system and campus leaders had been coordinating to determine how the University of Colorado System can best respond to the ICE decision announced last week. President Kennedy and the chancellors also joined higher education leaders across Colorado asking Colorado’s congressional delegation to ensure that any international student with a valid visa is able to continue their education no matter whether their instruction is online, in person, or through a combination of both.
Also this week, the State of Colorado through Attorney General Phil Weiser joined 17 states in commencing a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the recent directives affecting international students. The lawsuit claims that the directives were not properly enacted and will cause irreparable harm to international students who might be unable to continue their studies at the educational institutions of their choice.
April 16, 2024