By Jondi Gumz
On July 14, the Trump Administration agreed to rescind a temporary rule announced on July 6 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement barring international students taking all their coursework online from staying in the U.S.
“This is very good news,” said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) who led 136 of his colleagues in pressuring the administration to rescind this decision, which he called “harsh and heedless” and a “senseless decision by this administration.”
He added, “We, in Congress and in our communities, must continue to fight for our immigrant community members, including international students, so that they can continue to contribute to the ideals and values of our diverse and dynamic country.”
Cabrillo College responded in two ways to the Administration’s international student guidelines.
The college reassured international students that they can continue their program of study if they have appropriate hybrid enrollments under the new Department of Homeland Security/ICE rule, and joined legal actions to seek an injunction preventing enforcement of the new rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cabrillo had 126 international students enrolled in spring 2020, when COVID-19 closed the campus and forced classes to be offered online. International student enrollment peaked down in spring 2009 at 368.
International students and colleges throughout the country were relying on ICE waivers set in place in March during the spring term allowing full online enrollment to continue into the fall semester.
The sudden change in policy came in the midst of the escalating pandemic forcing colleges and universities and would have forced them to re-tool their approach just weeks before the start of the term.
Cabrillo had joined two friend of the court briefs in two separate lawsuits seeking to overturn the policy.
Cabrillo was part of a coalition of colleges and universities filing arguments in Harvard and MIT v. Department of Homeland Security that was argued successfully Tuesday in a Boston federal court.
The attorney representing Harvard, MIT and Cabrillo email Cabrillo president Matthew Wetstein to say the Department of Homeland Security agreed the July 6 directive was not enforceable.
“This is a major victory,” the attorney wrote.
The Boston Glob, which covered Tuesday’s court hearing, reported that ICE did not provide a comment and US Attorney Andrew Lelling, who represented the federal government in the case, declined to comment.
Cabrillo also participated in a filing with other California community colleges in a case being brought by the Attorney General of California v. Department of Homeland Security.
In each case, Cabrillo’s participation was part of a pro bono effort — at no cost — undertaken by law firms in New York and San Francisco.