Press Release

Loyola University Chicago Files Declaration with Illinois Attorney General Against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Ruling
Declaration supports a multi-state lawsuit to block the ICE ruling led by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

CHICAGO, July 13, 2020 – Loyola University Chicago today announced the filing of a declaration with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul against the July 6 ruling by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The declaration is in support of a multi-state lawsuit led by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that seeks an injunction to stop the entire rule from going into effect.

On July 6, ICE announced new guidelines that threaten to bar hundreds of thousands of international students from studying in the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 18-state lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), challenges what the attorneys general call the federal government’s “cruel, abrupt, and unlawful action to expel international students amidst the pandemic that has wrought death and disruption across the United States.”

“ICE’s arbitrary new rule harms both international students and the institutions where these students contribute to creating a diverse and culturally-vibrant academic environment. Announcing this rule in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional confusion and upheaval for students and universities already facing uncertainty caused by the pandemic,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul in a press release. “As the son of immigrants and the state’s chief law enforcement officer, I am committed to fighting the administration’s anti-immigrant policies.”

Today’s lawsuit includes 40 declarations from a variety of institutions affected by the new rule. Loyola joins 15 other Illinois universities in support of the lawsuit, including DePaul University, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago. Loyola, a member of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, also joined 178 colleges and universities in an amicus brief in response to the new ICE guidelines. The brief is in support of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) legal complaint against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Additionally, Loyola stands united with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, (AJCU); the Association of Catholic Colleges (ACCU); the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU); and the American Council on Education (ACE) in their opposition to the issued guidance. Loyola is coordinating its own advocacy with these associations to ask Congress to support students and institutions.

“The new guidelines issued by ICE fail not only fail to recognize the unprecedented nature of COVID-19, but are misguided and inhumane,” said Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola University Chicago. “Our international student community are valued companions in our global Jesuit mission, and our commitment to helping them pursue a Loyola education remains imperative. As we continue to advocate for our international students and prepare for the upcoming fall semester, the safety and wellness of our entire community continues to be our priority.”

About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with more than 16,600 students. Nearly 11,500 undergraduates call Loyola home. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens); and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 14 schools, colleges, and institutes, including Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Institute of Pastoral Studies, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Quinlan School of Business, School of Communication, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, School of Education, School of Law, School of Social Work, and Stritch School of Medicine. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu, “like” us at Facebook.com/LoyolaChicago, or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago or @LoyolaNewsroom.