Rebuilding America’s Middle Class (RAMC), A coalition of community colleges, today issued a statement in response to an announcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that international students pursuing postsecondary degrees in the United States may be deported if their institutions switch to all online learning due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Joe May, RAMC Board President and Chancellor of Dallas College, said, “We are extremely concerned about any policy that could block international students from continuing their chosen course of study at U.S. institutions. Our higher education system is renowned as the very best in the world, and we depend on the minds and perspectives of students from other cultures and communities to inspire new ideas and encourage greater innovation. We strongly urge the administration and Congress to collaborate with the higher education community to determine a more appropriate, sustainable path forward that does not preclude international students from pursuing a degree or credential from U.S. institutions during these difficult times.”