St. Lawrence Signs Amicus Brief in Support of International Students

St. Lawrence University President William L. Fox '75 has joined together with college and university leaders from across the country to block implementation of new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) guidelines that would upend the education and lives of international students studying in the United States.

St. Lawrence is one of 180 institutions that signed the amicus brief filed by the President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration on July 10 in support of a legal complaint filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Their new guidelines state that international students would be expelled from the U.S. if they were only enrolled in online courses for Fall 2020.

In a July 8 statement to the Laurentian community, President Fox and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Kimberly Flint-Hamilton said, "The contents of this guidance greatly disturb us as they present yet another roadblock in our international students’ journey to complete their education. We share our students’ concern and anxiety, and will protect and fight for the rights of belonging to this community regardless of one’s place of birth. [...] We will continue to advocate for our international students through collaborating with our partners at other institutions, as well as contacting our congressional representatives to take action on this matter. We are committed to standing up for and working with our international students to ensure that their education is not interrupted, and that they have the opportunity to thrive at St. Lawrence and in this country." 

According to the Alliance, "The plaintiffs seek an injunction against new guidance from ICE that effectively implements a ban on international students enrolled in online-only courses. The amicus brief argues that higher education institutions and international students will experience significant burdens due to the guidance’s arbitrary prohibition, without notice, to online-only courses for international students, particularly after investing substantial resources in planning their fall 2020 operations. Institutions, the amicus argues, relied heavily on the existing Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) guidance that flexibility would continue 'for the duration of the emergency.'"

 Learn more about the President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.