Harvard and MIT Sue ICE to Halt New Student Visa Guidelines
- U.S. now bars visas for those studying in online-only programs
- Move comes as colleges grapple with virus, threatens income
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are seeking a court order to stop the U.S. from enforcing new visa guidelines that could cast international students out of the country if schools offer only online classes.
“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” amid the coronavirus pandemic, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said Wednesday in a statement.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency issued the rules Monday, barring visas for applicants studying at colleges offering only virtual instruction. Students on existing visas who want to remain in the U.S. must transfer to a school with in-person instruction or attend an institution that offers both remote and on-campus learning, according to ICE.