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Trump administration abandons new restrictive student visa policy in face of legal actions

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US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs announced Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to rescind its controversial new rule that would have prohibited international students taking university courses entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic from staying in the US. The parties in Harvard v. US Department of Homeland Security informed the court that,

US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs announced Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security has agreed to rescind its controversial new rule that would have prohibited international students taking university courses entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic from staying in the US.

The parties in Harvard v. US Department of Homeland Security informed the court that they came to an agreement with the government that moots the previous necessity for a temporary injunction. The exact details of the agreement remain unclear. The agreement will, however, mark a return to ICE’s March policy directive.  That directive allowed student holders of F-1 and M-1 visas to remain in the US for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis even if they are taking classes exclusively online.

 

JUST IN: California will become the first state to sue the Trump admin. over guidelines issued this week that bar international students from remaining in the U.S. if they can take classes online, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra says. https://t.co/GEYNo6z4AF

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 9, 2020

Reuters is also reporting that a DHS official has said that “the details of any future regulation on this issue remain under discussion,” and that “officials are still deciding whether to treat students already in the United States differently than students seeking to enter the country for the first time.” Traditionally, traveling to the US on a student visa to take only online courses has been prohibited.

Leaders of 12 Christian organizations urged the Trump administration to rescind a policy requiring international students to leave the US or transfer if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall. https://t.co/TbF9QbSGDe

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) July 13, 2020

“The Trump Administration’s sudden reversal, in the face of a court challenge it was destined to lose, is a victory for these students, the colleges and universities at which they learn and the communities to which they contribute,” Feuer said.

On Monday, a coalition of 20 schools, including USC, sued the government in a bid to overturn the policy that would deprive foreign students of their United States visas if their fall classes are held solely online.

USC announced Thursday that international students who need to take an in-person class this fall to maintain their visa status and avoid being deported under the new policy will be able to enroll in the course at no cost.

 

Trump’s visa-policy reversal means thousands of area’s international students can stay in U.S. https://t.co/SIOfwHj9V7 pic.twitter.com/3HM4AbTtet

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) July 15, 2020

The policy, announced July 6, had triggered a wave of distress and outrage prompting Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to file a lawsuit, with 17 states, 26 municipalities and many other universities filing amicus briefs or taking similar action. Under the government’s policy, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had also required universities to notify them no later than Wednesday whether they planned to hold classes entirely online this fall.

Source: Trump administration abandons new restrictive student visa policy in face of legal actions

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DeSantis parts with Trump in response to Surfside tragedy

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According to this article on Associated Press, by BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and STEVEN SLOAN

“SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — When the coronavirus ravaged Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis defiantly bucked mask mandates. He later cracked down on protesters advocating racial justice, blasted President Joe Biden on immigration, jumped into the fight over transgender athletes and signed sweeping legislation to toughen voting rules.

But after a deadly building collapse, the Republican governor is largely hitting pause on the culture wars.

In the two weeks since a 12-story condo tower in this coastal community suddenly crumbled, killing at least 64 people, DeSantis has stood somberly with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement when Biden visited and hailed their joint appearance as a sign that those with opposing political views can work together in a crisis. And he even skipped a rally in Sarasota headlined by former President Donald Trump, whose early endorsement was crucial in helping DeSantis win the governor’s race in 2018.”

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Trump’s border security theater hasn’t ended — it’s gotten worse

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According to this article on MSNBC, by Hayes Brown, MSNBC Opinion Columnist

“There are a lot of problems with the U.S. immigration system. Of all the even halfway decent fixes that have been proposed over the years, though, sending in the military to deter immigrants at the southern border ranks pretty far down the list. And yet that’s exactly what’s happening, part of a process that I highly doubt will make anyone safer, be they a U.S. citizen or a migrant who has recently crossed the border.

In a rush of gubernatorial one-upmanship, National Guard troops and state police officers are being sent from around the country to fortify Texas and Arizona — sort of. Meanwhile, thousands of service members are unwilling participants in a farce, play-acting at an actual solution to immigration issues that have loomed over the country for decades now. Those federal troops whom former President Donald Trump first deployed ahead of the 2018 midterms will apparently spend another year doing, well, something along the southwestern border.”

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Texas Sheriffs Sue President Biden for Limiting Deportations

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According to this article on Courthouse News Service, by CAMERON LANGFORD

“GALVESTON, Texas (CN) — Four Texas sheriffs and an association of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers sued the Biden administration Thursday, claiming its policy limiting ICE from taking most arrested immigrants into custody for deportation is allowing “extremely dangerous illegal aliens” to be released onto the streets.

As part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to take a more humane approach to immigration enforcement compared to the harsh policies of former President Donald Trump, the Biden administration issued a memo Feb. 18 directing ICE to focus on deporting immigrants who are national security or terrorist threats, gang members, those who have been convicted of certain aggravated felonies and any that entered the country after Nov. 1.”

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