Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters
The Trump administration has left few options for international students attending universities in the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement commonly referred to as “ICE,” says “students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.” Subsequently, the government will not issue visas for students attending schools operating solely on online classes.
The decision arrives as many universities are releasing their plans for the fall (and in some instances, spring) semester(s). Boston-area schools such as Harvard will hold online classes for the entire 2020-2021 academic year, with some exceptions. Similar to other schools, Suffolk University will offer a mix of in-person and online classes for the upcoming semester, including in-person/HyFlex, synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid classes.
International students made up nearly 20% of Suffolk’s undergraduate student body for the fall 2019 semester, accounting to about 980 students. Members of the Suffolk administration, including Vice President for International Affairs Sebastián Royo, have expressed their support for the school’s international students. In a statement, Vice President Royo writes:
“Our international students are an important part of the Suffolk community and we look forward to welcoming them back to campus this fall. Based on our plans, all new international students will have two face-to-face classes, so we are pleased that we have already planned our offerings in a way that complies with the newly announced requirements . . . . our intent is to do everything possible to try to accommodate our international students’ preferences within the CIE guidelines.”
During the spring 2020 semester, the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance for schools and international students regarding remote learning, which allowed international students to stay within the U.S. during the respective time. The previous guidance reflects a sharp contrast to the administration’s current guidelines and rules for the same group of students.
Boston-area universities Harvard and MIT have sued the Trump administration over the current rules for international students. Both schools have high enrollments among international students and have garnered support from other schools, such as Cornell. The lawsuit states that the Trump administration’s rule has violated the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946, which provides processes for the federal government to develop and execute regulations.
As of now, it is unclear exactly how many Suffolk students will be impacted by the Trump administration’s rules. Be that as it may, Suffolk University and Vice President Royo appear confident in the school’s ability to welcoming students–international and domestic–back this September.