US's move asking the international students to leave the country if the classes are online has left many high and dry amid pandemic and travel bans in several countries.
Under new guidelines, federal immigration authorities on Monday said International students will be forced to leave the US or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall.
The decision has drawn flak from the several quarters of the society with students being faced with an uncertain future amid a pandemic.
Senator Elizabeth Warren took strong notice of the decision and said the move 'hurts students'. She dubbed it as 'xenophobic'.
Kicking international students out of the US during a global pandemic because their colleges are moving classes online for physical distancing hurts students. It’s senseless, cruel, and xenophobic. @ICEgov and @DHSgov must drop this policy immediately. https://t.co/MHYduGA1Pk — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 7, 2020
"The cruelty of this White House knows no bounds. Foreign students are being threatened with a choice: risk your life going to class in-person or get deported. We must stand up to Trump's bigotry. We must keep all our students safe," Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter.
The cruelty of this White House knows no bounds. Foreign students are being threatened with a choice: risk your life going to class in-person or get deported. We must stand up to Trump's bigotry. We must keep all our students safe. https://t.co/Q2MvmgJPqV — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 6, 2020
Here are some other reactions on the decision:
This affects me and so many of my friends. The current administration is playing haphazardly with the lives of international students and we do not appreciate it. — Matthew Weatherhead (@Tails10360) July 7, 2020
I don’t see the connection between online and immigration status. The government must look elsewhere to make rules. — Patricia Garcia (@triciagarcia31) July 7, 2020
Foreign students pay more tuition than US students. Today's decision seems to be motivated by xenophobia.https://t.co/59R6bwsvyv pic.twitter.com/XpbD2DIlX8 — Scott Galloway (@profgalloway) July 7, 2020
I want to be surprised but I just can't. I have no words to express how angry I am on behalf of every foreign student in the US currently panicking about what this means for their studies and their lives. @SenKamalaHarris @SenFeinstein https://t.co/jwKvUN3PBf — Anne Caldwell (@historianne) July 7, 2020
It's really sad to see what the the US is devolving into. As Talleyrand would have out it, expelling foreign students it's worse than a crime. It's a mistake of historical proportions. https://t.co/PuhfQXoKU0 — Daniel Munevar (@danielmunevar) July 7, 2020
The Trump admin has now decided to *deport* (yes, deport) thousands of foreign students—the most skilled and talented young men and women of the world—already in the US holders of a valid visa. If that’s not America attempting suicide, please explain what is it. — Dany Bahar (@dany_bahar) July 7, 2020