Response to new immigration proclamation
June 23, 2020 3:30 PM

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

On June 22, 2020, President Trump issued a presidential proclamation that suspends the entry of certain individuals to the U.S. This proclamation goes into effect on June 24, 2020 and will be valid at least through the end of this calendar year. The full text can be found here. We are still reviewing the full impact of the new order on our current faculty, staff and scholars, but it appears that our student population is largely unaffected. We are reaching out directly to members of our university community who may be impacted with more detailed information.

But this latest decision to restrict opportunities for international students and scholars is extremely disappointing and disheartening. 

For more than a century, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been the institution of choice for the best and brightest international students and scholars. That influx of talent and ideas has brought new educational opportunities to all of the students in all of our programs, and it has contributed enormously to innovations and discoveries that have led to new jobs, new industries and dramatic economic growth for our state and nation. We are proud of our reputation as a global university that truly welcomes our international community.

We will continue to advocate strongly against any actions that are needlessly detrimental to this university. And we will always honor our commitment to support all of our students, faculty, staff and visiting scholars, whether domestic or international.

We are in communication with our federal legislators to ensure that they understand the risk these new immigration limitations pose to the future economic growth and prosperity of the State of Illinois and to the vitality of the state’s flagship university.

We are at our best as a university when our doors are wide open to new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of thought. That is why it is so disappointing to see these new immigration restrictions that will close doors to some of those who would be so welcome here at Illinois.  

Sincerely,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor