07/08/2020

Harvard, MIT Sue Trump Administration over International Student Visas

The suit alleges the order was meant to pressure colleges to reopen

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over a directive that would prevent international students from studying in the United States on F-1 or M-1 student visas in the fall if their school only offers online classes.

The institutions are seeking a temporary restraining order and an injunction preventing the government from enforcing the directive, arguing, in part, that the administration made the decision to bar international students to pressure institutions to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The order came down without notice—its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness. 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 others," Harvard President Larry Bacow said in a statement on July 8, 2020. 

Please select this link to read the complete article from ABC News.