ICE vs. Online College

by Samantha Matson

Edited by Arushi Patil, Layout by Sahithi Lingampalli, Art by Sanjna Mootakoduru

One of the reasons people are given visas to stay in the US is to receive a college education—how did that opportunity become virtually impossible for students in 2020; the year of coronavirus?

With the current situation, many colleges are turning to online alternatives to protect the safety of their students and faculty members. However, the US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) threatened to deport students if the institution they attend was not returning to in-person instruction in the fall. How would that decision affect the over 1,000,000 international students enrolled: 5.5% of the total student body in the US?

On Monday, July 6th, ICE announced their plans to deport students living in the U.S. on education based visas if their institutions are only offering online classes during the upcoming fall semester. International students were told to find a college that was offering in-person classes, but doing so would put their health at risk. Why do students who have citizenship get to protect their health while international students are required to put themselves in an unsafe environment?

University leadership, college students, parents, and other concerned people, are the reason that this policy was eventually reversed. Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued ICE at the Boston federal court to challenge the policy. Over 200 major universities in the US supported this legal pursuit. These colleges included many Ivy League Schools, the University of California system, and member schools of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. In the age of social media activism, social media also played a key role in the reversal of this decision. Widespread information and petition links were plastered on social media sites, including Twitter and Instagram, mainly to spread awareness of what was happening and to show support to international students.

The value of international students is not just seen through numbers, statistics, or financial benefits, they are a vital part to the American education system. The students coming internationally to the US are dedicated to their studies, passionate to use their education to achieve their dreams, and offer American born students an opportunity to broaden their world view through increased diversity. College is a place to learn about different cultures, and a place where individuals can connect to form the world as a whole. Universities, college students, parents, and American citizens know the importance of international students on the US higher education system. This is why ICE’s policy received the forceful backlash which brought about its reversal.

The divisive policy was not executed, but that does not reverse the implications from its creation. There is more to this issue than college students; it brings awareness to the blatant examples of xenophobia that is especially apparent in the US. Yes, international college students will be allowed to stay in the US in the fall, even if their classes are all online, but the problems do not end there. How will international students feel comfortable attending their university now that they see how fast that opportunity can be revoked due to no fault of their own? ICE has backed down now, but what about tomorrow, in a few months, or next semester?

While colleges filing legal objections and widespread petitions across the country prevented concrete actions against international students this time, there is no guarantee for the future. Attending online college in a foreign country during a global pandemic is scary enough, and now international students must also carry the additional burden of worry and anxiety for their future in America. The issue at hand is resolved, but moving forward, how can international students feel secure in their place in America?