Notre Dame International responds to latest ICE guidelines

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Monday that international students obtaining a college degree in the United States will not be allowed to stay in the country if their institution is holding courses online for the 2020 fall semester. 

Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization, released the following statement, in support of Notre Dame’s international students:

“We are deeply concerned about the new immigration policies announced yesterday and how they might affect our students and community. The most notable change, that international students cannot enter into or remain in the U.S. if their university operates only online, does not apply to Notre Dame at this time as we will be returning to in-person classes this fall. There are, however, other changes that may affect our students. We have sought clarification from the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (the part of ICE that manages F and M visas on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security) since they submitted this new direction to us yesterday. We will continue to be in close contact with our international students as we gain clearer understanding.

"Notre Dame students come from around the world. As always, we will serve them and fight for them so that they can fully and safely access the academic excellence, residential experience, and unique spirit of their Notre Dame home.”

The University of Notre Dame is also a member of NAFSA, the leading global education organization for institutions of higher learning. NAFSA has put out a statement as well which Notre Dame fully supports.

Notre Dame International is monitoring the latest developments and providing up-to-date resources for international students.