Statement from RIT President regarding rescinding of July 6 ICE directive

Recognizing the great value our international students bring to the intellectual and social fabric of our university, RIT is beyond pleased that the federal government has rescinded plans to strip foreign students of their visas if their coursework is entirely online this academic year.

We strongly opposed this ill-conceived directive when it was issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month and had joined hundreds of other colleges and universities in a lawsuit to stop it. We reached out to our Congressional delegation and asked them to intervene, and we want to thank them, particularly Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Joe Morelle, for their support.

This directive needlessly caused great anxiety and concern for our international students, so we are thrilled that they no longer need to bear this burden. We look forward to welcoming them back when our fall semester begins August 19, and to continuing to support their academic pursuits at RIT.