The Trump administration on Tuesday said it is withdrawing a proposed rule that would have forced foreign students to return home if the college courses they were enrolled in were to be held entirely online when colleges reopen in the fall.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced last week that those on F-1 and M-1 student visas would need to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online when they reopen in the fall. If they do not, they could face deportation proceedings.
Additionally, the agency announced that the State Department will not issue visas to students enrolled in full online programs, and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would not allow them into the country.
The Associated Press reported that ICE announced that the administration was rescinding the rule as a court hearing was getting underway on a lawsuit by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The lawsuit by Harvard and MIT sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction stopping the policy from being enforced.
According to The Harvard Crimson, Harvard had announced it would house no more than 40 percent of undergraduates and would hold all classes online in the fall.
In a statement to students, Harvard President Larry Bacow said that the policy “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,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
