The University of Maryland is working with academic associations and the state congressional delegation to ensure that its international students will be able to continue studying in the U.S., according to a campuswide email sent Tuesday.
The announcement comes in response to President Trump’s Monday executive order, which limits the issuing of H-1B visas, H-2B visas, H-4 visas, L-1 visas and certain J-1 visas, university President Wallace Loh wrote.
He wrote that he is “deeply concerned” about how the order will affect students, fellows, visiting scholars and faculty, as many members of the university community are studying under these visas.
J-1 visas are typically reserved for international students, scholars and researchers, while H-1B, L-1 and H-2B visas allow employers to temporarily hire foreign workers. H-4 visas are reserved for family members of H-visa holders.
Some of UMD’s international students fear their future is in limbo amid COVID-19
“The United States is a global leader in higher education because we have welcomed talented persons of all nations to study, teach, and do research here,” Loh wrote.
Loh also praised the impact of international students, scholars and faculty. The curtailment of the programs limits the United States’ access to academic talent from across the world, he added.
“It is also unclear how this Proclamation will protect our country from the effects of COVID-19, which is its ostensible purpose,” he wrote.
The federal government also issued an order on May 29 that barred Chinese nationals who studied or researched in certain institutions in China from entering the U.S. for graduate study or research.
