Stanford shows support for international students following Trump’s new student visa guidelines

STANFORD, Calif. (KRON) — Stanford University is showing its support for international students following a Trump administration order that would require international students to leave the United States if their universities transition to online-only learning.

Stanford released a statement Wednesday in response to the federal government’s changes to its rules for international students taking online courses during the fall semester.

The new rule would only give student visas to those who will be taking in-person classes in Fall 2020. If students aren’t able to take any in-person classes due to the coronavirus pandemic, they must either leave the country or transfer to another university offering in-person courses.

Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne isn’t a fan of the revised rule.

“I want to reiterate how strongly opposed we are to this rule, and how concerned we are about the negative effects it would have on Stanford’s international students, as well as on our entire community,” he wrote in a statement posted on the university’s website. “The announcement of these changes came without warning, creating additional challenges for our international students in what is already a deeply uncertain time. Asking international students to transfer or leave the country – and, not to mention, to navigate the travel restrictions in place in many countries around the world, and to risk the possibility that they may not be able to return – is misguided and harmful.”

Tessier-Lavigne emphasized how important international students are to the Stanford community, and said they deserve the chance to continue with their degrees.

Furthermore, the university president is taking additional action to support international students.

Stanford stands in full support of our international community, and encourages the reversal of a new federal visa policy that would prohibit nonimmigrant students from staying in the country if they are taking all of their courses online in the fall. https://t.co/XfHci6KeuY

— Stanford University (@Stanford) July 9, 2020

He says he sent a letter to the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to express strong opposition to the order. The letter urged the department not to go forward with this rule and to instead extend the guidance offered this spring, which would allow international students to take online classes in the U.S.

The letter to Acting Secretary Wolf can be read here.

Stanford is also joining other institutions in an amicus brief to support Harvard and MIT in a lawsuit filed Wednesday to prohibit enforcement of the new rules.

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