The Trump administration is being sued by California for its ruling international students who take online-only college courses are not entitled to a student visa and legally must leave the country.
"Shame on the Trump administration for risking education possibilities for students who earned the chance to study here, along with their health and wellbeing," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said, per The Hill.
As U.S. colleges and universities are announcing online-only classes this fall, the Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an advisory that online-only college courses do not qualify for the certification of a student visa, citing potential immigration abuses.
"The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States," ICE said Monday.
"Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings."
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany noted, ruling any other way would allow for a massive influx of student visas for other online-only college coursework and be used by those seeking to broach U.S. borders for unnecessary reasons.
But Becerra cited the coronavirus pandemic as making this ruling "dangerous and morally reprehensible."
"This could put everyone at risk of getting and spreading the coronavirus, or be subject, in the case of these international students, to deportation if they don't comply with this latest Trump policy," Becerra said Thursday, per The Hill. "This policy isn't just unlawful, it's dangerous, and morally reprehensible."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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