Politics & Government
CT Joins Lawsuit Against International Student Policy
Several states are suing over a new rule that would kick international students out of the country if they don't take in-person classes.
CONNECTICUT — Attorney General William Tong announced that he is joining 17 other attorneys general to challenge a new rule that would force international students to leave the country if they don't take at least some in-person classes.
A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in Massachusetts. The lawsuit seeks an immediate injunction against the rule.
Around 40 higher education institutions have submitted declarations against the new rule, including Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the University of Connecticut and Yale University.
"We are asking the court to block this cruel and unlawful rule from imperiling the education of thousands of international students in Connecticut who contribute greatly to the academic, cultural, and economic strength of their universities and the state of Connecticut," Tong said in a statement. "The Trump Administration abruptly reversed its previous guidance with zero explanation or rationale, with complete disregard for the dire public safety consequences in the midst of a raging pandemic."
Related: Fate Of Thousands Of International College Students In CT Unclear
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued guidance in mid-March that allowed international students with F-1 and M-1 visas to remain in the country if they took their classes online. The policy was changed July 6.
"International students come to Connecticut to fulfill their educational dreams," said said Daniel Weiner, University of Connecticut vice president for global affairs. "This ICE directive is an attack on our institutional values and targets members of the community that are a long way from home and particularly vulnerable. It also sends a signal to young people all over the world that they are not welcome in the United States. The ICE directive is mean spirited and intended to cause harm. It is also deeply un-American."
Attorney generals from Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin have joined the lawsuit.
