Important Update on University Response to New ICE Rule
As we shared last week, the university is fighting the unjust and cruel proposed rule from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would block international students from continuing their studies online and remaining in the country. At the same time, we have created a plan for hybrid course options on our campus that will fulfill the ICE requirements and can be implemented at any point should it become necessary. Prioritizing the health and safety of our community, based on the best federal, state, and local advice available to us, continues to be a guiding principle in our planning. We hope this option will not be necessary, and may know more tomorrow when a federal judge will hear arguments in the Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) lawsuit seeking to bar the federal government from enforcing the rule.
We continue to strongly voice The New School’s opposition to this guidance and are grateful to the many members of our community who have amplified their support on social media and by contacting their elected officials. More information and resources about how to get involved can be found on the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice webpage. Over the past few days, the university has also joined with higher education institutions across the country in amicus briefs in support of the legal complaints against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security filed by Harvard and MIT in one case and by UCLA in another. In the press release announcing the amicus brief filed by 180 universities, including The New School, President McBride expressed his deeply held conviction that we must focus on building educational bridges for our students, not bureaucratic trap doors.
Although we do not yet have firm answers, we will continue to keep you posted. We understand how important this issue is to New School students, and are working to support all of our students in a safe and responsible way. To repeat: we are ready to respond at short notice with a revised teaching program that will ensure that our international students can remain in the country while we endeavor to keep our community safe.