California Sues Trump Administration Over New Visa Rule; USC To Offer In-Person Class For International Students
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The state of California filed suit against the Trump administration Thursday over a policy that would bar international students from staying in the United States unless they were scheduled to take in-person classes.
The lawsuit, filed by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and chancellors from community and state colleges, alleges that the policy threatens to exacerbate the spread of the novel coronavirus by requiring international students to take in-person classes or face deportation.
"No one graduates more students from college or assembles a more talented and diverse group of future leaders than California," Becerra said. "Today's lawsuit rests on America's enduring principle that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules can earn a chance to get ahead. We'll see the Trump administration in court."
The suit comes just one day after the University of California system said it would seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from enforcing the order.
Also on Thursday, the University of Southern California announced that it would be offering a no-cost, in-person class to international students that need it to maintain their visa status.
The university previously said it planned to join an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit filed this week by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology challenging the directive.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
