The University of Arizona joined a coalition of 20 universities to sue the federal government for its order issued last week requiring international students to attend classes in person or face the risk of deportation. The lawsuit was filed today, Monday, July 13, 2020, in federal court in Eugene, Oregon.

"The contributions of our international students are crucial to the learning and research conducted every day here, and we are fighting to ensure their continuation," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins.

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"Many of our 3,700 international graduate and undergraduate students stayed in this country during the pandemic to make sure their education was not interrupted by visa issues," Robbins continued. "We see this as a sign of their determination and commitment to earning an education in the United States from a top research university, and this guidance unnecessarily puts our international students at risk."

The coalition issued this statement today. The group comprises the University of Southern California, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Arizona State University, California Institute of Technology, Chapman University, Claremont McKenna College, Northern Arizona University, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Santa Clara University, Scripps College, Seattle University, Stanford University, St. Mary's College of California, University of Arizona, University of the Pacific, University of San Diego, University of San Francisco and University of Utah.

On July 6, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement set guidelines stating international students "may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States." The Student and Exchange Visitor Program had previously allowed for temporary exemptions for online courses in light of the COVID-19 impacts forcing universities to move all classes online.