President of the United State of America, Donald Trump is being faced with oppositions from universities over the order to ban international students from the country if they attend only online classes.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that international students attending schools operating online because of coronavirus pandemic may not take a full online course and remain in the United States.
Foreign students engaged in online courses would either transfer to another institution or leave the country.
However, Harvard and MIT, on Wednesday filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in US district court in Boston against Trump’s administration, seeking to halt the order.
The universities are seeking a temporary restraining order to place the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy on hold for fourteen days.
In court papers, the universities said they relied on the DHS policy from March that allowed foreign students in the US to remain and to allow new students to arrive this fall.
“If allowed to stand, ICE’s policy would bar hundreds of thousands of international students at American universities from the United States in the midst of their undergraduate or graduate studies.
“ICE’s decision reflects a naked effort by the government to force universities to reopen all in-person classes notwithstanding their informed judgment that it is neither safe nor advisable to do so.”
The universities added that the effect of this would create chaos for schools and international students.
The universities requested the court to schedule a hearing on their request Wednesday as they push to permanently stop the order from taking effect.
Harvard President, Lawrence Bacow, said the order came without notice and part of plans by Trump administration to force colleges to reopen.
Bacow said the order would amount to cruelty and recklessness.
“It appears the order was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms and cause chaos without regards for the health and safety of students, instructors and others,” Bacow said.
He described the immigration order as a bad public policy and dubbed it illegal.
Also, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said in an email to the MIT community told the court to declare the new guideline unlawful and prevent ICE and DHS from enforcing it, Daily mail reports.
The universities promised to fight vigorously for internationals student to continue their studies without the threat of deportation.
