Altercation Erupts in Capital City: Chaotic Scenes as Protesters Clash with Police Over Controversial Policy Decision
A federal judge has halted the Trump administration's plan to bar Harvard University from admitting foreign students, as part of a policy change concerning online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ivy League school, among others, faced potential exclusion due to the policy unveiled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July 2020.
The policy stated that foreign students on F-1 visas would be required to leave the U.S. if their schools offered only online courses. This sudden and apparently unfair change, critics contended, could negatively impact students and educational institutions without giving proper notice or explanation.
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) challenged the policy in a lawsuit, arguing that it failed to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The APA requires federal agencies to provide adequate public notice and opportunity for comment on significant rule changes.
On July 14, 2020, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued a ruling in favor of Harvard and MIT, blocking the policy change. Burroughs argued that the new policy was not justified and did not follow proper APA procedures. The Trump administration later withdrew the policy, thereby avoiding a lengthy legal battle.
A federal judge's ruling on July 14, 2020, supported Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in their challenge against a policy change by the Trump administration, stating that the policy violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The policy, which could have affected foreign students and the general news of policy-and-legislation, was deemed unfair as it potentially impacted students and educational institutions without giving proper notice or explanation, and was not justified according to Judge Allison Burroughs.
