Fuller Seminary Vows to Protect International Students from New Trump Admin Visa Rule

Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena may change its plans for the fall semester so their international students won’t be required to leave the United States under a new federal rule. 

In a statement Monday, Fuller said it is waiting on specifics from the Department of Homeland Security to know how to respond. The rule requires international students to either leave or transfer schools if they are enrolled at institutions that will have only online classes.

In the statement, the Pasadena-based evangelical institution said it was opposed to the new rules that “threaten the studies of our international students.”

“The Department of Homeland Security has added more burdensome requirements to international students amidst a global pandemic that not only compounds uncertainty but puts students at risk – simply because their educational institutions were forced to move classes online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said. “Fuller is committed to doing everything within our power to develop plans for the Fall quarter that will enable our international students to fulfill their visa requirements and remain in the U.S. to continue their studies.”

Fuller said they are in direct contact with international students and are working with them on program specific solutions. 

Under the new rule, announced by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), international students already in the U.S. must either depart the country or transfer to a school where there will be in-person instruction to maintain their lawful status. Students who do not obey the order may face removal proceedings, the rule indicated. 

The statement said the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), of which Fuller is a member, is in active conversations with the Department of Education lobbying for changes to the new policies, “to protect our international students and their studies with us.” 

“Additionally, we are monitoring pending litigation from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as well as cases being filed by the University of California system intended to stop these egregious policies from being enacted. Whatever the outcome of these efforts by the CCCU and the pending litigation, Fuller will work towards protecting our international students and their ability to remain in the U.S.,” the statement continued.  

Fuller announced in May that all fall quarter courses on the Pasadena campus would be done online, adding it would remain cautious in its approach. At the time, administrators were exploring options for limited in-person classes at its regional campuses in Arizona and Texas but could not guarantee that such classes would be possible. 

Monday’s statement reiterated the school’s support for its international body, calling it one of the “distinguishing” factors of the university.

“These international students contribute in immeasurable ways to our community and our mission in the world and deepen our understanding of theology, missiology, and psychology,” the statement said. “When they leave Fuller, they expand our reach around the world as scholars and practitioners whose work we continue to support. Fuller is a far better institution because of our international students.”

Fuller Seminary’s campus is at 135 N. Oakland Ave. in Pasadena.