COVID Got Me Deported
What it means for international students when ICE orders them to leave
[Update: On July 14, the Trump administration agrees to rescind ICE rule]
On July 6, 2020, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says international students can no longer stay in the United States if their colleges will teach remotely for the Fall 2020 semester.
As a former international student at a graduate school, my phone kept lighting up hours after the ICE announcement with hundreds of messages from friends who are panicking, angry, and helpless. ICE is asking students to choose between their health or completing their degrees.
Here’s the ICE announcement in a glance:
- International students (those on F-1 and M-1 visas) can no longer remain in the US for Fall 2020 if their schools will be online only
- These students should either transfer to another school that offers in-person classes or leave the country
Forced Transfer
It is now July. Classes typically start late August. Most school’s deferral deadlines for incoming students have long passed. Most schools are no…
