Move to deny students is shortsighted

The administration that can’t seem to stop finding ways to make life difficult for immigrants and international relations — even if it comes at the expense of our nation’s interest — has just moved to disrupt the lives and education of foreign students studying in the United States.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced this week that international college students could not stay in the U.S. for the fall semester if their schedule consisted only of online courses — and could even face deportation proceedings if they defied the order to leave.

The new Trump administration policy came as a shock to many scholars in the ICErun Student and Exchange Visitor Program who had been allowed to stay for spring and summer classes after many schools shifted to online instruction because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

It was equally unsettling to colleges and universities that were just finishing plans for the fall semester. Most have at least curtailed inperson instruction; others, such as Harvard University and the 23campus California State University system, are going online, with very limited exceptions, as a safety measure.

International students are valued in higher education not only for the cultural diversity and global perspective they bring to campus — which does not totally disappear in many online discussions — but also for their very tangible financial contribution. Most pay full tuition, which is especially critical to public schools that typically provide deep discounts for instate and lowerincome students.

One rationale for the new policy is that international students could just as easily participate in online classes from their home countries, Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department, told CNN on Tuesday. He also said the move will

“encourage schools to reopen.”

That reasoning is flawed on each count. Some of those international students come from countries where access to search engines and online material is severely restricted by authoritarian governments. Also, the notion of pressuring schools to reopen campuses in the thick of a pandemic is downright reckless. Those decisions should be guided by science and concern for the health of students, staff, faculty, the surrounding community and untold others who could be affected by an outbreak.

Both the students and the colleges that want to keep them enrolled are now forced to scramble to find a way to meet the inperson class requirement, even if in a limited way.

The ICE exchange and visitor program’s statement said visas would be denied to students either enrolled in fully online classes or seeking to enter the U.S. to study at an allonline college.

“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 inperson instruction, to remain in lawful status,” the statement said. “If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.”

The policy appeared unduly punitive on foreigners with dubious practical value for this nation’s interest. It sends the unfortunate and potentially enduring message that international students are less than welcome here. Yet they contributed $45 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018. Some doctoral candidates are engaged in research for public health matters, including the COVID19 pandemic. Others have internships that are contributing to economic innovation.

This new policy is the definition of a selfinflicted wound. It should be scrapped.