Dear Senator Lee, Senator Romney, and Representative McAdams,

I am an independent voter who is deeply concerned about the fact that under ICE’s new rules, international students must choose between attending in-person classes during a pandemic or taking them online from another country. This sounds extreme and totally unnecessary.

I love the diversity of the United States and it is of value to me that international students are not just allowed, but encouraged to attend universities and colleges here. 

But, since money talks and always has, I read that international students pay the highest rates of tuition to colleges and universities, and those funds often subsidize the tuition of domestic students. In addition, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students comprised over 5% of U.S. college enrollment and contributed approximately $45 billion dollars to the U.S. economy in 2018.

Given the value of foreign students to our country and the unprecedented health crisis we are facing, I would ask that all our students — foreign and domestic — be granted the ability to continue their studies without fear for their health or, in the case of our visiting students, the looming specter of possible deportation.

Regards,
Sandra (Utah)