On July 14, the Trump Administration rescinded a ruling that would have given international students two options if their schools were online: 1) leave the country, or 2) transfer to a school with in-person classes. It was a two-in-one hit that allowed Trump to do his two favorite things; be cruel to immigrants and pressure schools to re-open in the midst of a pandemic. This ruling quickly faced eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities and students, so it was thankfully rescinded.
But the Trump Administration still doesn’t intend on being kind to international students.
The new ICE rule seems like a watered-down version of the old one. In this version, newly enrolled students cannot come to America if they don’t have any in-person classes. This rule doesn’t apply to current students or students that can verify they’re taking at least one in-person class.
Although this is certainly gentler than the previous ruling and doesn’t force current students to leave the country, it still deprives a lot of international students of the privilege of attending our schools and puts pressure on universities to continue hosting in-person classes. It’s a much better arrangement, but it isn’t great.
Just like the last ruling, there’s already been a lot of backlash. Let’s hear what Twitter has to say.
Internet access, time zones, and just the right to be here are just some of the reasons why international students deserve to be here. Demand your institution to do something to accommodate https://t.co/2da1P7yIFd
— Jonny (@jonnymarinara) July 24, 2020
I feel like the funniest part is that the U.S. is such a shit show and this administration has the AUDACITY to try to limit people from coming here… like clearly they don’t realize our standing in the world has changed.
— ianthe (@IantheSantorini) July 24, 2020
I agree though, international students are important 💕
