Ramapo College Supports Lawsuit Opposing New ICE Rule

MAHWAH, NJ — Ramapo College joined a list of 180 colleges and universities to support a Harvard and MIT lawsuit seeking to stop a Trump administration directive which would target international students enrolled in only remote learning courses.

The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit which challenges the impending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rule on July 10.

"The amicus brief argues that higher education institutions and international students will experience significant burdens due to the guidance’s arbitrary prohibition, without notice, to online-only courses for international students, particularly after investing substantial resources in planning their fall 2020 operations," read a news release from the Alliance.

The new rule would essentially make it impossible for international students to retain their visas without in-person classes.

"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 in announcing the policy.

In a July 10 post to the university's website, Ramapo College President Peter Mercer said the school was working on solutions for international students who may be affected by the new directive.

"Ramapo College of New Jersey fully supports all international students in the United States. We are working to provide solutions and create fall semester plans for RCNJ international students with regard to recent immigration decisions," he wrote.

The three main arguments of the brief are:

• Higher education institutions relied heavily on the government’s flexibility in planning for the 2020 school year in light of COVID-19.
• International students relied heavily on their institutions’ plans for the 2020 school year.
• ICE’s guidance ignores the substantial reliance interests of higher education institutions and their international students.

Dwight A. McBride, President of The New School, said the regulation would effectively undermine all planning that colleges and universities did to prepare themselves for the fall semester while accounting for the coronavirus pandemic.

"The proposed ICE guidelines are cruel, unnecessary and deeply flawed–for students, for higher education, and for the country," he said in a statement. "As COVID-19 cases steadily increase throughout the United States, the new rule undercuts the prudence, careful planning, and reliance on public health and safety guidance that have informed university decisions around teaching and learning in the near term."

An announcement is expected this week for Ramapo College's fall semester plans, according to a June letter from Mercer.

"We know that circumstances will continue to change and that implementing even a modest return to campus in the Fall will require the flexibility and cooperation of all involved," he wrote.

Bergen Community College, who announced their fall semester would be conducted almost entirely with a remote learning model, said they had "begun discussions about how to support these students and provide in-person or hybrid-model classes for them."

Read more: Bergen Community College Moves Fall Courses Online