Dear Georgetown Law Community,

I write to share wonderful news for students and universities today. The Trump Administration has agreed to rescind the July 6 order issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requiring international students with F-1 visas to leave the country if their universities decide to go entirely online in the Fall semester, or if they opt to participate in classes entirely online in a university’s hybrid reopening model. The agreement returns the rules to the status quo. Based on the guidance issued March 9 and 13, which once again prevails, Georgetown Law students will be permitted to take all of their Fall 2020 classes remotely, if they choose, and maintain their F-1 visa status.

The agreement was announced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston, at the start of a hearing in the case brought by Harvard and MIT against the government seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the order. Georgetown is an amici in that case. The agreement rescinds the government’s order on a nationwide basis. The case will remain open for possible future briefing on the merits.

We recognize that last week’s order caused anxiety for our international students who were targeted unfairly by it. Georgetown will always be a welcoming community for international students, and we treasure our international graduates who are leaders in law and justice around the world.

This is also a victory for the law. The government’s defense of its hastily constructed order was weak. When challenged by universities and attorneys general nationwide, the government retreated.

Best,

Bill

William M. Treanor
Dean and Executive Vice President
Paul Regis Dean Leadership Chair
GEORGETOWN LAW