New regulations on international students from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could hurt the nearly 7,000 international students at the University of Maryland.

Under rules announced this week, students from abroad would only be allowed to remain in the United States if they are attending nearly all of their classes in person.

At colleges that are entirely online, students are being forced to return home. Though the University of Maryland has said it will hold some classes in person this fall amid the pandemic, it’s unclear whether there would be enough to allow international students to remain.

The college said it will do everything it can to let students stay, just as it already allowed international students to remain in campus dorms when the pandemic first hit.

“We will continue to look out for all Terrapin students from every country of origin, and we are working with our federal delegation on ways to support them,” UMD’s Director of Communications Natifia Mullings told the Hyattsville Wire in a statement. “We are urgently considering alternative options, as this newly announced rule has caused great concern.”

Currently, about 20% of undergraduate courses will be taught at least partially in person this fall, especially smaller and more interactive classes, internships, labs and performance-based classes in the arts.

Even if accommodations can be worked out, there’s no guarantee it will last. The ICE policy requires colleges notify it within 10 days if it switches to online-only classes because the pandemic has worsened in its area — which could mean students would then be forced to leave.

In the 2018 academic year, 6,806 students from 134 countries studied everything from undergraduate courses to vocational training to graduate programs. The top countries included China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Iran — one reason for College Park’s increasingly diverse restaurant scene.

There are other benefits. A study by the NAFSA association of international educators found that international students contributed more than $796 million each year in Maryland, supporting nearly 9,500 jobs.