What our Congressional Leaders are Saying
Congressional leaders have taken action to protect America’s #1 position in innovation and education by exercising their Congressional authority to disapprove of a DHS regulation that arbitrarily limits the amount of time students, exchange visitors, and journalists can remain in the United States.
“Our international students, researchers, and journalists in our community and across our country make important contributions to our schools, our communities, and our economy,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “Placing fixed time limits on their studies ignores how long some study programs actually take and adds red tape to an immigration system that is already overwhelmed. Visiting students should have a stable, welcoming environment to further their education and contribute to our communities—not obstacles that undermine their ability to do so. That is why I am glad to introduce legislation with Congressman Raskin, Congresswoman Jayapal, and Congressman Liccardo to repeal this rule and to help ensure the success of our universities and communities.”
“America has always benefited from attracting brilliant students, researchers, doctors and journalists from around the world,” said Congressman Jamie Raskin. “The Trump Administration wants to obstruct that path with bureaucratic hurdles and quicksand designed to make legal immigration harder. This senseless rule will drive away talented people who come here to study, practice medicine, do research and contribute to our communities. It harms the American economy and American innovation and makes all of us worse off.”
“International students make our institutions of higher learning better for all students and create pipelines to ensure the best and brightest lend their talents to strengthen our economy and American innovation,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “We should be welcoming students, not wrapping the processes to obtain visas in layers of red tape. This has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with Trump and Stephen Miller’s plan to prevent all forms of legal immigration. I first came to this country on a student visa and understand deeply just how important these visas are.”
“America wins when we can continue to attract the best and brightest students from around the world to drive American competitiveness, particularly in STEM fields,” said Congressman Sam Liccardo. “Eliminating the Duration of Status framework will push talented students and researchers toward our competitors, undermining our ability to win the global battle for talent, essential to our innovation economy.”
“This proposed rule is just another part of the Donald Trump-Stephen Miller mass deportation agenda,” said Senator Dick Durbin. “They want to make the immigration process so difficult, so cumbersome, and so onerous that legal immigrants decide to leave the U.S. or never come here at all—which will result in the loss of talented, bright individuals who make America better. Our nation is already confronting a serious health workforce shortage. Now is not the time to make it even more difficult for health care professionals to care for our most vulnerable communities. I appreciate my Democratic colleagues in joining me on this important measure and encourage members on both sides of the aisle to support it.”
“Rhode Island’s institutions of higher education help power the Ocean State’s economic competitiveness,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “International students and medical residents drive innovation, contribute to cutting-edge research, and spend big not only on tuition, but also at local restaurants and businesses. This Trump administration rule punishes international students, young doctors, and foreign journalists as well as local small businesses and universities as part of their extreme anti-immigration agenda.”
“International students deserve fair opportunities to receive an education in the United States. Students, exchange visitors, and foreign members of the media should never have to live in fear of the Administration’s unprecedented attacks on legal immigration,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Diversity is our country’s strength, and international students and exchange visitors support American innovation, job growth, higher education, and global competitiveness. We have a responsibility to protect these visa holders, including international students who contribute to the culture of American universities and eventually to our nation’s economy.”
