Hartford, CT – Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement on ICE’s proposed rule change that would force international students to leave the country if their universities move classes online.

“This is yet another cruel, unnecessary and harmful policy decision from the Trump administration,” Tong said. “I have already heard from Connecticut students who are in danger of being kicked out of the country because of this rule change. The University of Connecticut, our flagship state school, hosts around 3,700 international students from dozens of countries. That’s roughly 13 percent of the student body. These students often become immigrants who allow our nation’s economy to grow and thrive. That’s particularly the case in Connecticut, where thousands of immigrants have come to study at our world-class universities and stayed to work in advanced manufacturing and other high skill jobs.

“In the current health crisis, universities need to be able to make prudent choices about the health and safety of their students, faculty and staff without fear of draconian and punitive immigration consequences. My office is dedicated to protecting Connecticut and her residents, including our immigrant neighbors, and we stand ready to lead our sister states in doing so yet again.”

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