Trump Administration Caves to Special Interest Pressure on Visas for Foreign Students Taking Online Classes, Says FAIR

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), regarding the Trump administration decision to abandon a rule that would deny visas to foreign students enrolled in online classes only:

"FAIR firmly denounces the Trump administration's walk-back of the July 6 decision to deny visas to international students who are taking online-only classes this fall.

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made the correct initial determination to suspend the visas of students enrolled in universities offering only online education. International students are not immigrants, they are temporary visitors. There is no legal or practical reason justifying their continued presence in the United States if they were enrolled in online-only education. The initial rule already provided flexibility for students enrolled in schools utilizing hybrid or traditional approaches to reopening schools in the fall while protecting the F-1 and M-1 program from more fraud than already exists.

"This, unfortunately, is yet another example of the administration caving to the pressure of the business lobby and open borders advocates who continue crafting the narrative that international students are somehow anything more than temporary visitors. The administration's hasty retreat in the face of opposition from the business lobby and universities for whom foreign students are cash cows, begs the question of why they issued a rule they were not willing to defend against the inevitable push-back from opposition.

"It is unfortunate that their pressure, yet again, stood in the way of this administration enforcing the laws on the books. The president needs to reaffirm his commitment to implementing immigration policies that serve the interests of the American people given how quickly he threw in the towel on this matter."

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR        

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 2 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)