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BY ordering foreign college students who are unable to take in-person classes this fall to leave the US, the Trump administration has plumbed new depths of heartless incompetence. At best, the order will cause needless anxiety and expense for both colleges and students. At worst, it might wreck college finances, destroy jobs and facilitate the spread of the coronavirus. Inflicting such harm for some presumed political gain is disgraceful.
US immigration rules ban foreigners on student visas from enrolling in programmes taught exclusively online. This is reasonable in normal times — in theory, virtual classes can be attended anywhere. But the coronavirus outbreak forced colleges to halt in-person instruction abruptly this spring, throwing their plans and those of their students into disarray.
In March, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency rightly announced it would waive the in-person requirement and allow 1 million international students in the US to remain “for the duration of the emergency.” On July 6, ICE rescinded the waiver. Student-visa holders enrolled in schools that don’t resume in-person instruction must either transfer schools or return to their home countries. International students who are currently overseas will be banned from entering.
The policy is irresponsible on many levels. The vast majority of student-visa holders stayed in the US during the lockdown, expecting to be able to continue their studies this fall. Under ICE’s order, they will have to start making arrangements to leave the country or face deportation, which would invalidate their visas and prevent them from returning to the US.
Administration officials say the intent of the new rules is to pressure colleges to reopen. Yet in much of the country, the health emergency that caused schools to close is getting worse. While a handful of institutions have announced plans to reopen fully in the fall, many remain reluctant to do so, given a shortage of adequate testing and protective equipment and the high probability of students’ contracting and spreading the virus in classrooms and dormitories.
The ICE order leaves colleges with an excruciating choice. They can rush to resume in-person instruction and put the lives of faculty, staff and students at risk; or enable the deportation of their foreign students, who contribute $45 billion annually to colleges and surrounding communities.
Schools that adopt hybrid models combining in-person and remote instruction will have to prove that each international student is attending physical classes — a significant administrative burden when many are already under heavy financial pressure. Even if schools find ways to comply, they will face the same dilemma should new outbreaks force them to close their doors again.
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have lodged a legal challenge, and it’s to be hoped it succeeds. Regardless, the administration should reverse course immediately and allow visa holders to continue learning remotely until the pandemic subsides. Anything less is cruel to the students involved and betrays institutions that are vital to the country’s future.
So, parents: Are you ready to send your kids back to school this fall?
Uncertainty is no stranger in the age of COVID-19, but few can blame families for feeling utterly adrift when it comes to their children’s educations. Districts around the US are struggling to come up with classroom plans that keep kids socially distanced while protecting teachers. Universities are facing pressure from the government to open up, or their international students will be sent home with no guarantee of being able to return. Remote learning, necessity notwithstanding, has exacted a harsh toll on teachers, students and caretakers alike. And as important as being physically in school is for kids’ academic growth and mental health, guarding students, educators and staff from a killer virus is (or should be) top priority.
It could be years before we have a clue, but we should keep asking ourselves: Will the kids be all right?
US immigration rules ban foreigners on student visas from enrolling in programmes taught exclusively online. This is reasonable in normal times — in theory, virtual classes can be attended anywhere. But the coronavirus outbreak forced colleges to halt in-person instruction abruptly this spring, throwing their plans and those of their students into disarray.
In March, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency rightly announced it would waive the in-person requirement and allow 1 million international students in the US to remain “for the duration of the emergency.” On July 6, ICE rescinded the waiver. Student-visa holders enrolled in schools that don’t resume in-person instruction must either transfer schools or return to their home countries. International students who are currently overseas will be banned from entering.
The policy is irresponsible on many levels. The vast majority of student-visa holders stayed in the US during the lockdown, expecting to be able to continue their studies this fall. Under ICE’s order, they will have to start making arrangements to leave the country or face deportation, which would invalidate their visas and prevent them from returning to the US.
Administration officials say the intent of the new rules is to pressure colleges to reopen. Yet in much of the country, the health emergency that caused schools to close is getting worse. While a handful of institutions have announced plans to reopen fully in the fall, many remain reluctant to do so, given a shortage of adequate testing and protective equipment and the high probability of students’ contracting and spreading the virus in classrooms and dormitories.
The ICE order leaves colleges with an excruciating choice. They can rush to resume in-person instruction and put the lives of faculty, staff and students at risk; or enable the deportation of their foreign students, who contribute $45 billion annually to colleges and surrounding communities.
Schools that adopt hybrid models combining in-person and remote instruction will have to prove that each international student is attending physical classes — a significant administrative burden when many are already under heavy financial pressure. Even if schools find ways to comply, they will face the same dilemma should new outbreaks force them to close their doors again.
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have lodged a legal challenge, and it’s to be hoped it succeeds. Regardless, the administration should reverse course immediately and allow visa holders to continue learning remotely until the pandemic subsides. Anything less is cruel to the students involved and betrays institutions that are vital to the country’s future.
So, parents: Are you ready to send your kids back to school this fall?
Uncertainty is no stranger in the age of COVID-19, but few can blame families for feeling utterly adrift when it comes to their children’s educations. Districts around the US are struggling to come up with classroom plans that keep kids socially distanced while protecting teachers. Universities are facing pressure from the government to open up, or their international students will be sent home with no guarantee of being able to return. Remote learning, necessity notwithstanding, has exacted a harsh toll on teachers, students and caretakers alike. And as important as being physically in school is for kids’ academic growth and mental health, guarding students, educators and staff from a killer virus is (or should be) top priority.
It could be years before we have a clue, but we should keep asking ourselves: Will the kids be all right?
