US universities have a $45 billion reason to fight tooth and nail for international students

America’s most reputed universities are going all out to protect their international students—and, in-turn, themselves. Yesterday (July 8), Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) sued the US government for its recent decision to not extend or offer new visas to students whose course load is entirely online. ICE’s [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] action proceeded without any indication of having considered the health of students, faculty, university staff, or communities; the reliance of both students and universities on ICE’s statements that the preexisting exemptions would be “in effect for the duration of the emergency” posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which continues to this day; or the absence of other options for universities to provide their curricula to many of their international students.