Brown will file an amicus brief in support of the case brought in federal court this week by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The brief is expected to be filed July 13, according to an update posted Friday to a University letter expressing support for international students.
The new ICE guidance announced Monday would prohibit non-immigrant international students on F-1 and M-1 visas from studying in the United States with a fully online course load. The announcement came as many universities announced online-only or hybrid academic models for the 2020-21 academic year, and preceded Brown's announcement of its own three-term hybrid model by one day.
In the original lawsuit, Harvard and MIT call for a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to prevent the policy from being finalized or implemented, and seek a declaration that the new policy is unlawful.
President Christina Paxson P’19 had expressed support for the suit in a community-wide email sent Wednesday afternoon discussing the University’s plans to support international students. But there was no indication that the University was planning to file an amicus brief in the Wednesday email, prompting international students and the Undergraduate Council of Students to call for the University to do so on Thursday.
“Given the tremendous negative impact the temporary rule would have on international students at Brown, and international students across the country, we are joining with a number of peer colleges and universities in filing an amicus brief in support of Harvard and MIT in the case,” Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.
Cornell, Princeton and Penn will also file amicus briefs in support of the lawsuit against ICE.
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