I join the University President in condemning the announcement on Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, intended to threaten the participation of international students in the academic, social, and cultural life that comes from studying at U.S. universities. International students first came to Michigan Law in 1859 and have enriched our community with their unique perspectives and enduring friendship ever since. We will not stand for their exclusion
Law School administrators have connected individually with each of our current and incoming international students to express our support, commitment, and determination to work with them through this latest attempt to erect a barrier to their attendance. Many faculty members have reached out to me to express their concern, and our hybrid plan for the fall means that we will be able to guarantee every international student enrollment in the necessary number of in-person credits. Finally, as you may be aware, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have filed a lawsuit to prevent ICE and DHS from enforcing this newest ruling, and the University will enthusiastically join a group of institutions in an amicus brief in support of that lawsuit.
We continue to live in challenging times, and it is lamentable that this federal government action has made them more so. To our international students: You are important to us and we will fiercely defend your full admission to this institution. To the rest of the Michigan Law family: We pledge to remain the diverse, lively, and richly textured institution we have become from including international students. We will fight to keep our community together.