Editor's Note: On July 14, the Trump adminisrtration abruptly recinded its policy that would strip visas from international students who elected to only take online courses, potentially resulting in their deportation. A federal judge in Boston announced the move moments before arguments were to be heard in the case.
Today, the University of Miami joined more than 170 institutions of higher learning in support of the lawsuit filed by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to oppose a new federal immigration policy that would require international students holding F1 visas to leave the United States if they decide to take classes solely online.
This new guidance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is creating hardship and confusion among international students who are already navigating difficult decisions during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“International students add to the intellectual and cultural life of the University of Miami and we are doing everything in our power to ensure they continue to have the opportunity to do so,” said President Julio Frenk, who had signed onto a statement in support of international mobility in higher education one week prior to the new ICE guidance, along with the presidents of more than 30 universities around the world, including Brown, Harvard, and Yale.
In addition to signing the amicus brief in support of Harvard and MIT, the University—through International Student and Scholar Services and the Office of the Provost—continues to support its community of international students and is providing assistance to each of them as they seek to continue their education at the U.
This fall, the University is offering classes in several formats, including in-person instruction, a hybrid of in-person and virtual/remote learning, and fully virtual/remote learning. The University remains hopeful that international students will be able to continue their educational pursuits without the fear of deportation.
