Immigration consultant says new US policy affecting international students harsh and unfortunate

 

Immigration consultant Irwin Clare has described as harsh and unfortunate a US government announcement that it will not allow foreign students to remain in the country if all their classes are moved online next semester because of the coronavirus crisis.

 

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday said these students must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.

 

Mr. Clare says the decision will put many Jamaican students studying in the US at a disadvantage. 

 

"I think that it is a harsh ruling by ICE. It shows no humane feelings towards persons who are now displaced. Those who'll now have to go back home and do online, they'll be in different time zones. In some of these countries, the internet service is intermittent, like Jamaica, even worse. So, they're simply paying significant amount of fees as well and not getting the benefit of the experience here in the United States, because learning in the United States is not just academic alone, but it's also the environment, the culture and all that goes with it," he contended. 

 

Mr. Clare said he hopes there will be push back against the ICE directive by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as well as large universities who could see their income decline from losing students.