Trump admin rescinds July 6 policy; MIT president says it “comes as an enormous relief”

KOLKATA: Giving in to pressure from multiple quarters, the Trump administration has rescinded its July 6 policy directive that would have prohibited many international students from studying in the US, if their classes would be fully online

The federal government’s U-turn comes after national and international outrage against its July 6 order, and a number of lawsuits filed by multiple education institutions led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Last week, Harvard University along with MIT had filed a plea in the US District Court in Boston seeking a temporary restraining order prohibiting enforcement of the directive. Top tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Twitter also told an US court that it would hurt US institutions as well as the economy.

MIT president Rafael Reif welcomed the move in a letter addressed to the MIT community. “For our international students, and thus for all of us, this comes as an enormous relief,” he said, thanking Harvard University President Larry Bacow for his leadership, as well as all the colleges and universities who signed court briefs in support of the suit.


“It’s deeply encouraging that this case has inspired so much reflection about and enthusiastic recognition of the vital role international students play in academic communities across the United States – and absolutely at MIT,” wrote Reif.

“This case also made clear that real lives are at stake in these “bureaucratic” matters, with the potential for real harm. We need to approach policy making, especially now, with more humanity, more decency – not less,” he added. “When we joined this suit with Harvard, we knew our case was strong, and we are pleased with this outcome. But we also stand ready to protect our students from any further arbitrary policies,”