California State has taken a serious legal action against President Trump administration over guidelines issued this week to deport international students.
According Mr President, if they can take classes online, there is no need for such students to remain in the country.
The California state Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, announced on Thursday July 9, 2020 that California was the first state to query Trump on the guidelines he issued.
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction against enforcement of the new visa policy.
“Under the directive, students on F-1 and M-1 visas must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement.
“Those who violate the rules may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings,” the agency added.
Some colleges and universities have announced plans to hold online-only courses in the fall as the U.S. struggles to get the coronavirus pandemic under control.
The policy would disproportionately affect California, which has more students on visas than any other state, Becerra said.
International students contributed nearly $41 billion to the national economy in the 2018-19 academic year, according to the nonprofit NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
At the University of Southern California, a quarter of all students enrolled in the 2019-20 academic year were international students. More than half of the international students are from China, according to the university’s website.
