Student Union
- By Aline Barros
Court Decision Postponed on Federal Rule Targeting Foreign Students
A federal judge postponed taking action Friday in a lawsuit filed by two universities against the U.S. government, while the state of California filed a separate lawsuit over federal guidance that foreign students who take online-only classes will lose their immigration status.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs announced she would wait until next week to decide whether to issue a temporary order to stop the directive, announced by U.S. immigration officials Monday, that requires international students to attend classes on campus in person.
American colleges and universities are grappling with how to hold classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many opting to conduct some or all courses online for the upcoming semester.
Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenged the federal rule, saying it would throw U.S. higher education into chaos, forcing schools to scramble to arrange in-person classes while ignoring risks to public health.
In a short hearing held by videoconference, Burroughs said she would wait to review the government's opposition to a temporary order, to be filed Monday. A full hearing on the matter is expected Tuesday.
Some foreign students left the U.S. earlier in the year as the pandemic shuttered campuses nationwide. Others have been sheltering in the U.S. and taking online courses to continue their studies.
International students contributed $45 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, according to the Institute of International Education.
A second lawsuit
Thursday, the state of California also sued the Trump administration over the foreign student directive. California's state universities and community colleges argue the rule harms international students as well as colleges and universities that will lose revenue.
About 40,000 international undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled at the nine campuses of the University of California, according to 2019 enrollment figures. In addition, according to the website edsource, the California Community Colleges chancellor estimated that the rule could affect 20,000 students, and California State University estimated 11,300 students at its campuses would be affected.
Meanwhile, the University of Southern California announced it would offer in-person classes at no additional cost to international students to help them maintain their visa status.
Student stopped at Belarus airport
The impact of the Trump administration's guidance is already being felt. During a Thursday hearing, an attorney representing Harvard, Bill Lee, said a university student from Belarus was not allowed to enter the U.S. because of the new guideline.
"Quite honestly, your honor, we are getting flooded with inquiries and requests because of the policies being enforced at the borders as we speak," Lee said in court.
ICE's directive
The recent guidance, released Monday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, halts an exemption, prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, that allowed students on some visas to take classes online while schools were shuttered.
Now, if a college or university offers only online courses, foreign students enrolled there must transfer to another institution with in-person classes or leave the United States.
Ken Cuccinelli, a top official at the Department of Homeland Security, said Tuesday on CNN that the policy was created to "encourage schools to reopen."
"We're providing and looking at providing so much flexibility to allow those openings to happen in a variety of ways. That doesn't mean there aren't still basic protections that are required," he said.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
