Amid these unprecedented conditions, global colleges have deliberated regarding the fate of the 2020-2021 school year. What started off as individual schools creating small plans has turned into a lawsuit of international proportions. Why? ICE made a temporary change to its policy - stating, “Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States” (ICE.gov). In addition, “The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester” (ICE.gov).
Essentially, international students that are enrolled in universities adopting a fully online fall semester would get the boot. This policy left universities around the US outraged. More importantly, this left countless students terrified of a quick and unsuspecting deportation
Spearheaded by Harvard and MIT, two of the US’s leading universities, legal action was in play to block the implementation of ICE’s new policy. Other colleges, such as Brown University, joined in, stating they would, “file an amicus brief in support of the legal action”. In Brown’s case, university president Christina Paxson has argued that the policy is “nothing short of cruel”.
ICE’s policy adds to the growing list of paramount humanitarian crises since the new year, as it reflects the government’s inability to fully think out the logistical and ethical consequences of its actions. Had this policy been implemented, graduate students in the science and research tracks would lose access to labs and other in-person resources. Any students on school visas wouldn’t be permitted to have these opportunities. In an age of innovation, and as the search for a coronavirus vaccine continues, this dismantling of research would seriously impact the nation.
ICE first seemed unyielding with its decision, and the list of colleges joining in the legal battle grew with each coming day. Since ICE’s public statement, the federal administration reversed its decision, following public backlash, even before the case went to court. International students already attending an American institution may continue doing so if the college goes online. However, prospective international students who want to study in the US need to enroll in a college that offers at least some in-person classes. As a whole, ICE’s decision will gravely affect the diversity within future college acceptances in US universities.
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