U of I System supports Illinois Attorney General's challenge
July 13, 2020 5:34 PM

Dear students, faculty and staff:

Today we’re writing to tell you that the University of Illinois System and its three universities are actively participating in a new legal effort by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 17 other attorneys general around the country to challenge the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) restrictions on visas for international students.

Attorney General Raoul and his colleagues on Monday filed a lawsuit opposing what they call the federal government’s “cruel, abrupt, and unlawful action.”

The U of I System and its universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield agree with Attorney General Raoul and his colleagues that new ICE restrictions forcing international students whose schools offer online-only instruction to either leave the country or transfer to other schools are disruptive and unnecessary. Included as part of that litigation is a declaration issued on behalf of the system and our universities. We plan a hybrid instruction model that blends in-person and online instruction, but we nonetheless believe the restrictions will be harmful to students elsewhere and to higher education in general.

We also announced on Friday our plans to join litigation filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that challenges the new restrictions. We are pleased to update you and tell you that our amicus brief in support of that case was filed on Sunday.

We will continue to do all we can to support our international students and those around the country during this difficult time.

Tim Killeen
President

Barb Wilson
Executive Vice President/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Michael Amiridis
Chancellor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Karen M. Whitney
Interim Chancellor, University of Illinois at Springfield