Trump admin caves to Harvard and MIT, won’t deport online-only students:
The Trump administration has rescinded a controversial policy that could have forced the deportation of foreign students who attend colleges that aren't offering in-person classes during the coronavirus pandemic.
As we reported last week, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued the Trump administration to block the policy issued by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Under the policy change announced July 6, foreign students with nonimmigrant (F-1 and M-1) visas would have had to leave the United States or transfer to different schools that offer in-person classes.
But US officials agreed to rescind the new policy in a settlement with Harvard and MIT, as revealed [Tuesday] at a hearing on the case at US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. "At a short hearing Tuesday afternoon, US District Judge Allison Burroughs confirmed that a settlement had been reached," The Wall Street Journal reported. "She said the government would rescind the policy, withdraw an FAQ detailing the rule and return to the status quo of guidance issued in the spring."
Under a policy issued on March 13, which is back in effect because of the settlement, ICE provided an exemption to the rule that F-1 students must attend classes in person. The Harvard/MIT lawsuit pointed out that, when ICE issued this exemption, "the government made clear that this arrangement was 'in effect for the duration of the emergency.'" But the Trump administration's July 6 order reversed that policy despite the pandemic raging on and the fact that President Trump had not rescinded his national emergency declaration.
Harvard and MIT argued in their lawsuit that the Trump administration's July 6 policy change "is arbitrary and capricious because it fails to consider important aspects of the problem before the agency... fails to offer any reasoned basis that could justify the policy." The lawsuit also argues that the change violates a requirement to provide public notice and take comments.
Previously:
(2020-07-08) New Rules: Foreign Pupils Must Leave US if Classes Go Online-Only
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday July 18 2020, @12:45AM
It says they're in the same mental state (and level of development) as a defiant little three year old who purposefully shits his pants and runs around in shitty pants specifically because his mother told him to use the pot.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...