WASHINGTON, 13 July. - (ANA) -  Seventeen American states have filed a lawsuit to block a new Trump administration rule that would revoke the visas of foreign students who take all online classes.

 

The rule, issued a week ago, would upend months of careful planning by colleges and universities, the lawsuit says, and could force many students to return to their home countries during the pandemic, where their ability to study would be severely compromised.

 

The action, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, is the latest legal effort to contest the federal edict, which has been described by states and universities in court filings as a politically motivated attempt by the Trump administration to force universities to hold in-person classes this fall, even as many have announced they will remain largely online because of health concerns. 

 

Many universities are planning to offer a mix of online and in-person classes to protect the health of faculty, students and their surrounding communities during the pandemic.

 

The U.S. Coronavirus outbreak is growing across 39 states. Administration officials are targeting Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S. 

 

More than 100,000 new cases were identified over the weekend.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 July 2020 - - -