Seventeen States and Washington, DC have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s policy that would prevent international students from staying in the US. The policy would stop international students who are taking online courses from leaving the US.

In order to remain in the country for the fall 2020 semester, international students must be enrolled in in in-person classes at their schools. Students who remain in their own countries would only be permitted to take remote classes and maintain their’active status’.

Prior to the July 6th announcement, there was no indication that the fall 2020 semester would not be subject to the same policy. Under the previous policy, the student and exchange visitor program allowed international students to take online classes without risking their Visa status.

Lawsuit says the directive was’arbitrary and capricious’. The lawsuit says it failed to offer a reason for its reversal of prior policy.

The states claim that they will suffer’irreparable harm’ if the court does n’t vacate the rule.

Plaintiffs claim that the rule imposes large financial and administrative burdens on colleges and universities. They claim that schools would have to reevaluate the plans they’d already made for the upcoming year. They also argue that the pressure to reopen would make it harder for those governments to keep their communities safe.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to vacate the directive nationwide.’the directive has thrown colleges and universities across the country into confusion – and our students and prospective students as well,’ the action reads.

The suit includes declarations from more than 40 schools impacted by the new rule, including the University of Massachusetts, Boston University, Yale, and the university.

Prior to ice’s announcement, a large number of universities planned to offer entirely online instruction. Harvard and MIT have already filed a lawsuit in the US district court in Boston seeking a temporary restraining order.