Harvard and MIT sue to stop ICE policy blocking international students from visas
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have teamed up to challenge a federal policy that will inevitably hurt their foreign students.
On Monday, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement announced it would not issue visas to foreign students whose colleges decided to run classes fully online in the fall. Harvard and MIT are two schools that had already decided to do so in order to stem COVID-19 spread, and the universities launched a lawsuit Wednesday aimed at stopping the ICE policy.
ICE's policy change told foreign students to either consider transferring to a school that would have in-person classes or return to their home countries. The suit requests a 14-day restraining order on the policy, since they formed their plans for the fall before the policy was issued.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The schools also argue against the rule change as a whole, saying it "would bar hundreds of thousands of international students at American universities from the United States." Some of those students are from countries wracked with civil unrest and Internet connectivity issues, making it unsafe and untenable for them to learn at home, the lawsuit argues.
The suit goes on to allege ICE's rule change is "a naked effort by the federal government to force universities to reopen all in-person classes." President Trump has publicly favored forcing all schools to reopen, even as COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise around the country.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Climate change is threatening Florida's Key deer
The Explainer Questions remain as to how much effort should be put into saving the animals
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in November, from 'Dune: Prophecy' and 'A Man on the Inside'
The Week Recommends A new comedy from 'The Good Place' creator, a prequel to 'Dune' and the conclusion of one of America's most popular shows
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Daniel Lurie: San Francisco's moderate next mayor
In the Spotlight Lurie beat a fellow Democrat, incumbent Mayor London Breed, for the job
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
USC under fire for canceling valedictorian speech
Speed Read Citing safety concerns, the university canceled a pro-Palestinian student's speech
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Florida teachers can 'say gay' under settlement
speed read The state reached a settlement with challengers of the 2022 "Don't Say Gay" education law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden administration to forgive $39B in student loan debt for 800K borrowers
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Advocacy groups challenge Harvard's legacy admissions policy
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
2 Michigan school districts ban backpacks after confiscating 4th gun this year
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Education Department to limit bans on transgender student athletes but allow exceptions
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
UAE becomes 1st Middle Eastern country to mandate Holocaust education in schools
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
College admissions scandal mastermind sentenced to 3.5 years in prison
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published