On Monday, ICE announced that international students would have to leave the U.S. or transfer to a different school if their university will hold classes online only. Now Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are taking the action to challenge the ruling as they step up for international students.
According to NBC News, the lawsuit was filed in Boston’s federal court seeking to prevent the ruling that was announced on Monday. The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. They are seeking a temporary restraining order against the policy, as well as an order vacating the policy and a declaration that it is unlawful.
The Associated Press reports that the universities say that the guideline “violates the Administrative Procedures Act because officials failed to offer a reasonable basis justifying the policy and because the public was not given the notice to comment on it.”
As we previously reported, the guideline states that students who are attending schools that are staying online must “depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction.” ICE made the announcement on Monday, that was the same day that Harvard announced classes would remain online as the fall semester approaches.
Harvard says that the guideline would prevent at least 5,000 of their international students from remaining in the country.
Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said, “It appears that it was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms for in-person instruction this fall, without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students, instructors, and other. This comes at a time when the United States has been setting daily records for the number of new infections, with more than 300,000 new cases reported since July 1.”
Donald Trump has been using his social media platforms to express that schools need to be reopened this fall despite COVID-19 being very much present.
SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
