On July 6, 2020, international students currently studying in the United States received catastrophic news. According to The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), all international students studying in the states are required to leave the country if their current schools have transitioned to an all-online curriculum for the 2020 fall semester.

     This sudden and abrupt modification to the preexisting guidelines for international students has resulted in tens of thousands of students having their educational careers permanently altered and/or damaged. Many students have taken out serious loans to study in the states, some have even put forth their personal assets on the line for this opportunity. This policy change came without warning and shows little mindfulness towards the people it will actually affect. So what can we do? 

     I propose the following schools (I have listed only the few that are in my locality, but I encourage all campuses to follow in-suite) to create hybrid online/in-person programs for international students to meet the qualification guidelines. Otherwise, the schools are prone to face a massive drop in income due to the loss of thousands of students.

     Please, if you or anyone you know is an international student and are concerned about your visa status, join and share the petition. If enough people are involved, perhaps the schools will accommodate these new changes.