日前，美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）颁布的留学生签证新政引发一片哗然。
该新政规定，如果留学生在2020年秋季学期仅上网课，将无法取得赴美签证或维持当前签证。
点击图片阅读此前报道：《美国新规：留学生如果只上网课会被遣返？留学生炸了……》↑↑↑
迫于强大的舆论压力，美国移民和海关执法局近日松口，对该新政进行了部分修改。
根据修改后的规则，此后：未返美但上网课的学生将仍具合法身份。
International students holding F and M visas studying online outside of the U.S. can keep their status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a recent statement released on its official website."Students will not be permitted to enter or remain in the United States to attend such schools, but they are not barred from continuing to attend all classes at these schools from abroad," ICE said in response to the question "are students attending schools that are entirely online barred from attending that school?"ICE also noted that this approach "balances students' ability to continue their studies while minimizing the risk of spread of COVID-19 in our communities by ensuring that individuals who do not need to be present in the United States are not physically here."
可以说，此次对新政的修改，是该新政引发众怒并遭致各方起诉后的结果。当地时间8日，哈佛大学校长劳伦斯·巴科（Lawrence S. Bacow）表示，哈佛大学及麻省理工学院已在当天上午对美国国土安全部及移民和海关执法局提起诉讼。劳伦斯·巴科用“鲁莽”和“残忍”来形容限制留学生签证的这一新政。秋季学期，包括哈佛大学在内的一些大学仅提供线上授课。根据新政，这些学校的外国留学生将不得不离开美国或转学，而身在海外的留学生也将面临无法取得签证的尴尬处境。哈佛大学和麻省理工学院在诉状中谴责：新政将使成千上万的外国留学生在离秋季学期开学仅剩几周之际，失去在美国求学的选择。Earlier, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have jointly filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration over new rules barring international students from staying in the U.S. while taking online courses.
疫情暴发以来，在美留学生承受着巨大的学业压力和心理压力。美国政府在疫情当前，不说“送口罩”、“送温暖”，却出此禁令，可谓是寒了不少留学生的心。The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to bar the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from enforcing the new regulations on foreign students in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.在哈佛大学和麻省理工学院提起诉讼后不久，包括斯坦福大学、加州大学伯克利分校在内的多个美国知名高校相继表态，强烈反对针对国际留学生的签证限制，表示将尽最大努力维护国际学生的权益。正如哈佛大学校长劳伦斯·巴科在一封内部邮件中所说的那样——“作为一所致力于住宿教育的大学，我们希望并打算在安全和负责任的情况下尽快恢复全面的面授教学。但是，在那个时候到来之前，我们不会袖手旁观，眼睁睁地看着国际学生的梦想任由一个严重误导的政令所破灭——我们将会站出来为之战斗。”
"As a university with a profound commitment to residential education, we hope and intend to resume full in-person instruction as soon as it is safe and responsible to do so," Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow wrote in an email to affiliates, "But, until that time comes, we will not stand by to see our international students' dreams extinguished by a deeply misguided order. We owe it to them to stand up and to fight—and we will."美国约翰斯·霍普金斯大学发布的最新疫情数据显示，截至北京时间7月12日15时34分，美国新冠肺炎确诊病例达3,247,782例，死亡病例达134,815例。As of 15:34 p.m. BJT Sunday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has reached 3,247,782, with 134,815 deaths, according to the data provided by Johns Hopkins University.
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