I’m deeply concerned about the recent ICE announcement concerning International Students.
As a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, we stand fully in support of the 1.2 million international students studying in the United States and urges ICE to rescind its decision to force international students back to their home countries in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, July 6, 2020, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that international students in the United States whose schools and colleges are open for the fall 2020 semester with online-only classes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will not be issued student visas or otherwise be allowed to enter or remain in this country. Most devastating, ICE’s policy holds that if colleges are forced to switch to online study as a result of a spike of COVID-19 cases—at any point in the semester—international students would be immediately deported, despite financial obligations, closed air routes, or violence that may await them in their home countries.
ICE’s policy and its requirement that international students “take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction” to remain in the United States is discriminatory, ill-advised, and capricious. In no way does this improve our educational system, strengthen the financial viability of schools or colleges, or help to combat—or even address—the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, the policy leverages the current public health crisis for political gain, targeting international students by those who oppose diversity in learning. IECA believes this policy is part of an ongoing effort to force schools and colleges to reopen for in-person instruction prematurely, using significant financial incentive—and overriding the health and best interests of students and educational institutions.
The United States’ educational system leads the world, and young people from across the globe flock here to learn. Millions have become doctors, researchers, and entrepreneurs enhancing American life or serving as ambassadors upon returning home. American students have their experience enhanced through daily interaction with friends from other cultures, and educational institutions rely on the approximately $45 billion dollars that international students contribute to the schools’ bottom line and the US economy annually. Without international students, some small colleges and boarding schools may no longer be viable. ICE’s policy further erodes the interest of top students across the globe in pursuing their education in the United States, and its rippling impacts hurt us all (Mark Sklarow, IECA CEO)
COLLEGES SPEAK OUT (NACAC TODAY)
Harvard, MIT Sue Federal Government Over ICE International Students Rules
The AP (7/8, Binkley) reports Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday sued the federal government, “challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar international students from staying in the U.S. if they take classes entirely online this fall.” They argue that the decision “violates the Administrative Procedures Act because officials failed to offer a reasonable basis justifying the policy and because the public was not given notice to comment on it.”
The New York (NY) Times (7/8, Hartocollis, Jordan) reports the universities “argued that the policy was politically motivated and would throw higher education into chaos.” The move is widely viewed as an “effort by the White House to pressure colleges and universities into reopening and abandoning the cautious approaches that many have adopted to reduce coronavirus transmission.” Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey “vowed to support Harvard and M.I.T.’s efforts,” saying in a statement, “This decision from ICE is cruel, it’s illegal, and we will sue to stop it.”
The Washington (DC) Post (7/8, Svrluga) reports the “swift response” by the universities marks a “new battle line in the war between President Trump and education leaders over how to safely reopen schools in the midst of his reelection bid.” Before the pandemic, international students were required to take classes in person, but the federal government “offered schools and students flexibility this spring,” and had “said that the new guidance would remain in effect for the duration of the emergency.” As a result, university officials “assumed that their international students would be allowed in the country even if they weren’t in the classroom.” Therefore, many schools, including Harvard, announced plans “to offer little to no in-person instruction.”
However, Reuters (7/8) reports ICE’s announcement “left students, professors, and universities scrambling to figure out exactly who would be affected by the rule and how those affected could comply without having to leave the country.” The Washington Times (7/8, Dinan) reports the proposed rule “would still allow students whose schools plan in-person coursework, but if all of their classes have moved online during the coronavirus pandemic, those students would be ineligible to come or remain in the U.S.” The suit claims the decision is “cruel to the students — and speculated the rule was meant to be malicious.”
CNBC (7/7, Dickler) reports foreign students “contributed nearly $41 billion to the national economy in the 2018-2019 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.” Deep cuts in state funding for higher education in recent years “have put pressure on schools to admit more students who need less aid, which is why so many schools have come to rely on the revenue from foreign students, who typically pay top dollar.” As a result, college and universities may seek out more domestic students willing to pay full tuition, meaning schools may not be as generous with their financial aid packages.
Colleges Prepare For Sharp Drop In Chinese Students. The Wall Street Journal (7/7, Korn, Subscription Publication) reports US colleges are preparing for a steep drop in international students – particularly from China – due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, visa-processing delays, and Monday’s ICE announcement blocking foreign students from taking online-only courses while residing in the US. Notably, Chinese students account for nearly $15 billion of the $44.7 billion that foreign students spend in the US on tuition and other higher ed costs.