Cheap Labor Lobby and Elitist Universities Praise the Trump Administration for Keeping Visa Loophole for Foreign Students Intact

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Jul 15, 2020

Earlier this month, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it would not let foreign students stay in the U.S. while universities hold their classes online.

However, ICE reversed course earlier this week when it scrapped the policy.

Harvard’s student newspaper, The Crimson, tweeted, “Breaking: The government has agreed to rescind DHS and ICE rules barring international students attending online universities from staying in the U.S., per a hearing this afternoon in Harvard and MIT’s lawsuit against the agencies.”

 

Due to legal pressure coming from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and lobbying from the Chamber of Commerce, the Trump administration ended up letting foreign students be able to obtain F-1 visas.

The Chamber of Commerce jumped for joy in a statement they released:

The U.S. Chamber is pleased that the Department of Homeland Security rescinded its ill-conceived policy regarding international students today. Our nation’s educators and our economy are better for it.

John Binder of Breitbart News noted that Libre Initiative, a Koch-funded operation, praised the Trump administration for this move:

Good! This rule would have needlessly restricted legal immigration channels for those eager to contribute by learning, developing, and applying their unique talents here in America all while negatively impacting higher ed institutions. @realDonaldTrump

Binder shined light on several House Republicans who pushed for maintaining this loophole:

Trump’s administration had been lobbied by a handful of House Republicans to reopen the loophole, calling the policy a “blow to our collegiate communities and … international students…” Those Republican lawmakers included Rob Woodall (R-GA), Peter King (R-NY), John Curtis (R-UT), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

The Breitbart writer broke down some of the big picture implications of these visa programs:

The F-1 student visa program — as well as the Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa program that delivers foreign graduates to businesses at discounted rates — is a cash cow for American colleges and universities.

Every year, nearly one million foreign students who fill seats in undergraduate and graduate programs provide at least $9 billion to U.S. university systems. These foreign students often pay three times as much in tuition and fees as their American counterparts.

 

Unfortunately, the Trump administration is falling asleep at the wheel when dealing with mass migration.

It’s not enough to obsess about illegal immigration.

The various forms of legal migration also threaten American workers and lead to their continued displacement.

Elections are only months away and Trump desperately needs deliverables lest he wants a disappointing result at the ballot box.

 

 

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