Harvard and MIT Sue Trump Administration Over Rules Barring Online Study for International Students

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to pre-empt enforcement of a controversial rule that would bar international students from studying at colleges that opt for online-only instruction this fall.

The lawsuit, which seeks a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Harvard’s president, Lawrence Bacow, publicized the filing Wednesday morning, writing that the order on international students “came down without notice — its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness.” He continued: “It appears that it was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their on-campus classrooms for in-person instruction this fall, without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students, instructors, and others.”

The federal guidance on international students has caused a firestorm in higher education this week. Specifically, it states that international students studying at colleges that opt for online-only instruction will not be eligible to remain in the United States. That could be devastating for international students at institutions like Harvard and MIT, which have announced that instruction will be primarily online this fall.

Read the full lawsuit.