Harvard, MIT file lawsuit to block Trump administration from stripping students visas

Harvard and MIT have filed a lawsuit on Wednesday that seeks to prevent the Trump administration from implementing a rule that will strip foreign students of visas if their universities move exclusively to online classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Trump administration announced those F-1 and M-1 (non-academic and vocational students) visa holders planning to take online classes only will not be allowed to remain in the U.S.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday announced that the international students pursuing courses in the United States must leave the country if their institutes have switched to complete the online course due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The universities asked a federal court in Boston for a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against the administration's new policy, according to the Hill.

The lawsuit alleges several violations of a federal law known as the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which concerns how much decision-making power resides with federal agencies. At issue is whether ICE's new policy is legally justified or if it was "arbitrary and capricious," and thus illegal under the act.

The new order of the Trump administration, if implements, will impact foreign students including thousands of Indians as they will have to leave the US if they choose to take online classes only.

Meanwhile, the United States on Tuesday told India that it will keep the best interests of the students in mind and try and mitigate the impact of the new rule regarding the F-1 visa, sources said.

The issue was raised during the virtual foreign office consultations between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale.

( With inputs from ANI )