Thousands of international students in the U.S. relief of being deported
The Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS), committed to expanding educational opportunities and higher education for the Hispanic community, is pleased to learn about the decision that brings relief to thousands of international students who had been at risk of being deported. More than 1,000,000 international students enroll in the U.S. institutions, based on the 2018-19 academic year data from the Institute of International Education. Hispanic students represent almost 7% of this amount precede by Asia with 70%, Europe and, Middle East/North Africa with 8% each.
“As Chairman of an organization focuses on Hispanics that helps with the integration of technology in education; we praise the legal effort of hundreds of universities to defend international students forced to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the coronavirus pandemic” commented by Dr. Carlos Morales, HETS Chair. Under this policy, international students would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall. Besides, new visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online due to the pandemic. Students already in the US would have faced deportation if they didn’t transfer schools or leave the country voluntarily. “We were proud to stand with our partners in the Hispanic community and sister institutions to challenge ICE’s unconscionable regulations,” said HETS Officer and University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez. “Clearly, our united voice helped to turn the tide on these unjust rules, which would have brought untold harm to our international students.”
It is a fact that all colleges and universities were forced to move all their classes online to ensure the safety and health of their students, faculty, and administrators. This commitment was reflected in this historical moment, where for the first time, so many institutions seek a legal remedy to protect international students. On this line, HETS officer, Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto, President of Southeast Missouri State University comment that: We are thankful to the federal government for having rescinded the initial directive. This has been a welcome news by both institutions of higher education and international students. Likewise, HETS Regional Representative, Dr. Tomás Morales, President of California State University San Bernardino emphasized that: “This is a reprieve for the over 1 million international students who study in the U.S. We know that these members of our student body enrich the academic experience and campus life by their presence.”