Davidson College Supports Lawsuit Opposing New ICE Rule

DAVIDSON, NC — Davidson College joined a list of 179 colleges and universities to support a Harvard and MIT lawsuit seeking to stop a Trump administration directive that would strip international students of their visas should they take online courses in the fall.

"We'll see you in court, [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," Davidson College said Monday, via Twitter.

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.

“We stand with our students,” Davidson College President Carol Quillen said in a statement. “This surprise mandate reversed the same agency’s guidance from four months ago and imposed rigid and pressing deadlines when a pandemic requires flexibility and support. Our international students enrich our learning and contribute to our economy and our communities. We shouldn’t be shoving them out the door.”

In an email to the college's international students, Quillen said Davidson's plans for the fall include a range of options, including in-person classes to fully online instruction, which gives the school flexibility while also meeting key ICE requirements.

We'll see you in court, We'll see you in court, @ICEgov. https://t.co/LYH4dRrKO7
— Davidson College (@DavidsonCollege) July 13, 2020

Montana Samuels, Patch Staff, contributed