International students taking online classes won’t be deported after ICE reversal

International students will no longer be required to take in-person classes in order to remain in America, according to the Associated Press.

The rule, which never went into effect, was proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this month. The proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement rule drew outcry from international students and colleges alike who said the rule caused economic, cultural and personal damage to colleges and the communities around them.

While many colleges, such as the University of South Carolina, are offering in-person classes, some universities are going online only for the fall due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. International students also feared that if coronavirus case numbers were to increase and school were to go online-only, they would be removed from the United States in the middle of a semester.

The Trump administration faced lawsuits from universities and states that called the rule “cruel, abrupt, and unlawful,” according to an article from NBC News. Following legal action, the administration decided to “return to the status quo,” according to the Associated Press.

Issy Rushton, the University of South Carolina student body president who is originally from Australia, told The State she was “very happy,” about the decision to rescind the rule, saying it was “a step in the right direction.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 4:11 PM.