Harvard, MIT Sue Trump Admin Over Rule for International Students Who Have Fully Online Classes

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent foreign students from losing their visas amid the pandemic.

On Wednesday, both collegiate institutions petitioned a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts for a temporary restraining order, as well as a permanent injunction, to halt the administration’s new initiative introduced by U.S. 🛂Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday.

According to The Hill, the lawsuit, which alleges that ICE’s new policy may be an effort to “force universities to reopen in-person classes,” notes concerns about the increased risk of exposure to coronavirus with in-person classes.

In addition to the inconvenience the policy will cause for foreign students, the lawsuit argues that faculty, staff, and all other students are also being forced to abruptly change carefully crafted plans to prevent the spread of coronavirus while maintaining academic standards.

The lawsuit also expresses concern for the future of foreign students who could be forced to upend their lives if this policy is enforced.

“The effect — and perhaps even the goal — is to create as much chaos for universities and international students as possible,” the lawsuit states.