St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan announced Wednesday that the University of St. Thomas stands with its international students and seeks to change a Trump administration decision that will force international students to leave the country or transfer if their current school goes totally online this fall.

Sullivan’s email to the campus community followed Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that said new visas would not be issued to students attending online only schools.

“Our international students and faculty enrich our entire university, and their diverse backgrounds, expertise, scholarship and life experiences enhance the learning experience for everyone at St. Thomas,” Sullivan wrote.

Sullivan assured in her email that the university is working with the deans and the Office of Academic Affairs to ensure its international students can access enough in-person and hybrid courses to maintain visa status.

Sullivan added that the Office of Academic Affairs, administrators and the deans are working with the Office of Global Learning and Strategy to help international students obtain the resources that help them get the support that they need for the fall semester.

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block ICE’s rule. The guideline was released the same day Harvard announced it would keep classes online this fall.

The guidelines, issued by ICE, provide additional pressure for universities to reopen even amid growing concerns about the recent spread of COVID-19 among young adults.

President Donald Trump has insisted that schools and colleges return to in-person instruction as soon as possible. Soon after the guidance was released, Trump repeated on Twitter that schools must reopen this fall, adding that Democrats want to keep schools closed “for political reasons, not for health reasons.”

Under the updated rules, international students must take at least some of their classes in person. Even at colleges offering a mix of in-person and online courses this fall, international students will be barred from taking all their classes online.

In addition to ensuring international students have access to enough hybrid and in-person courses, the university is also making direct appeals to members of congress and supporting professional associations that can mount legal challenges.

In response to ICE’s order, the University of Minnesota is reviewing its fall semester hybrid instruction so that in-person classes can be offered where needed to make sure international students comply with the new guidance, according to a note to students and faculty by university President Joan Gabel.

Emily Haugen can be reached at haug7231@stthomas.edu.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.