July 14, 2020
On July 8, 2020, Harvard University and MIT sued the Trump administration in the U.S. District Court in Boston to challenge the directive—issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division—that prohibits international students from remaining in the country if their colleges hold online-only courses in the fall. In support of that lawsuit, ACCJC is among the 70 associations of higher education who joined the American Council on Education’s (ACE) amicus brief, filed yesterday.
Over one million international students in undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs attend institutions of higher education in the United States. The ICE directive would put thousands of international students at risk of losing their lawful status to remain in the country and face the possibility of removal proceedings. These individuals, many with families, are facing complete upheaval of their lives, including their educational plans and livelihood. ACCJC agrees with ACE and the other supporters that this directive is deeply irresponsible and is harmful to students and the institutions they attend, and requests that the court grant preliminary injunctive relief immediately.
In the brief, supporters wrote:
“Amici are deeply concerned that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) July 6, 2020 Student Exchange Visitor Program guidance (the Directive) will inject chaos into higher education operations. It reverses course on a policy announced by DHS in March, and it does so arbitrarily, without adequate explanation, and without sufficient notice to affected institutions and students. If left unchecked, DHS’s departure from established administrative-law norms will severely harm colleges, universities, and current and future international students alike, as well as all of us who benefit from their contributions to our society. It also will diminish the global standing and reputation of the United States as the leader in international education.”
