The White House abandoned a policy that would have stripped international students of their visas if they did not attend some classes in person. The rules could have led to a huge loss in international students, a valuable source of income for schools and skilled workers for American businesses, particularly tech companies. Universities sued to challenge the policy, led by Harvard and M.I.T., which argued that it was an effort to force schools to reopen. Other immigration hurdles — including delays in visa processing and travel bans — will most likely contribute to a huge drop in international student enrollment this fall. The new law gives him additional power to punish Chinese officials over a security act that gives Beijing more control over the territory.

Source: International New York Times July 15, 2020 11:03 UTC