White House Reverses Ban on International Students Taking Online University Classes

On Tuesday, the White House rescinded an order issued on July 6 that would have required international students to leave the country or transfer if their schools went fully online in the fall. This reversal follows eight federal lawsuits, including a lawsuit from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which was publicly backed by more than 200 schools. Coverage from left-rated outlets tended to focus on international students' reaction to the reversal, while some coverage from some center- and right-rated outlets speculated that since the directive came without any economic or security justification, it could have been an effort to force colleges to open or to boost Trump's popularity with a restrictionist base.