A Guide to the Efforts Helping International Students amid ICE's New Policy Change
International students enrolled in entirely online classes will have their U.S. visas revoked, according to a Trump administration order for Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday.
These students will also no longer be allowed to enter the country, and students currently in the United States must leave or risk deportation. The policy change will affect thousands of international students who are currently enrolled in online classes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. If students want to remain in the country, ICE suggests "transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status."
The move prompted immediate backlash and furor, especially as it leaves students little time to find suitable alternatives for the forthcoming fall semester.
What Schools Are Doing
Universities like NYU, Brown, and Columbia have announced plans to create hybrid classes with both in-person and remote opportunities for those who are vulnerable to ICE's policy change.
In a statement, NYU President Andrew Hamilton said, "The University will work with any affected students so they can continue their studies in the United States as they had initially planned.
"Additionally, requiring international students to maintain in person instruction or leave the country, irrespective of their own health issues or even a government mandated shutdown of New York City, is just plain wrong and needlessly rigid. If there were a moment for flexibility in delivering education, this would be it.
"Both on our own and in association with other universities, NYU will be reaching out to Federal officials urging them to revoke or modify this rule."
Harvard and MIT have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in federal court, in an effort to have the ICE policy reversed and to declare it unlawful.
"ICE's action proceeded without any indication of having considered the health of students, faculty, university staff, or communities; the reliance of both students and universities on ICE's statements that the preexisting exemptions would be 'in effect for the duration of the emergency' posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to this day; or the absence of other options for universities to provide their curricula to many of their international students," the lawsuit reads.
"ICE's action leaves hundreds of thousands of international students with no educational options within the United States," it continued.
What Fellow Students Are Doing
Fellow students were also quick to galvanize support for international students at risk. Social activism-oriented Instagram account @community_equity_ has posted various Google Sheets that include lists of available in-person classes international students can enroll in, so far including UCLA and Cal Poly.
Which Petitions to Sign
Petitions quickly cropped up online after news of the new ICE policy spread. One petition on Change.org, addressed to ICE's Student and Exchange Visitor Program, has garnered close to 300,000 signatures. Another petition, also on Change.org, addressed to President Donald Trump and ICE, has reached more than 3,000 signatures.
This story will be updated with more ways to help.
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