Breaking: Rider supports lawsuit against Trump administration over immigration rules

UPDATE: On July 14, the Trump administration pulled the plug on its proposed rules for student immigration, reaching a compromise that will allow international students to remain in the country even if they are not enrolled in in-person classes.

By Stephen Neukam

Joining a number of universities around the country, Rider rebuked the Trump administration by signing onto a brief on July 13 in support of a lawsuit against the federal government for its new student immigration rules

The rules that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released July 6 would strip foreign students of visas if their institution offered only online classes in the wake of COVID-19, requiring them to leave the country.

The lawsuit, filed by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, seeks to block the Trump administration’s new policy. The first hearing for the suit is scheduled for July 14.

Seventeen states have also sued the Trump administration over the immigration policy.

In an email to the Rider community, President Gregory Dell’Omo said that the university welcomes all students from around the world and that the new rules, issued during a global pandemic, make it difficult for international students as institutions adjust to protect their communities.

“We are proud to stand with other institutions of higher education all across this country in our steadfast support of international students,” said Dell’Omo. “As an inclusive community, these rules are inconsistent with Rider’s core values.”

As part of its reopening plan, “Resolved and Ready,” the university is expected to offer in-person, hybrid and online classes for the upcoming semester. Dell’Omo said Rider will work closely with its international students to make sure they are in compliance with the new guidelines.