CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - Chess champion Tamer Karatekin, originally from Istanbul, has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MIT and was planning on pursing a master’s in the Boston area — but new orders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are threatening to destroy plans for him and thousands of other college students.
ICE announced yesterday it would deport international college students if they do not take in-person classes this fall, despite many universities only offering online courses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Being forced to go back would be a disadvantage,” Karatekin said. “This is very upsetting for a lot of international students.”
The alternative is that students transfer to universities that offer in-person instruction, which is a heavy burden with college starting soon.
“To now, in six weeks’ time, be asked to change the university or college – it’s practically impossible,” said Mahsa Khanbabai of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “This is the government weaponizing the immigration laws rather than trying to accommodate people in one of the most vulnerable times in our country.”
Many Massachusetts colleges have already announced plans that call for reduced student populations this fall. Harvard will only hold in-person classes for freshmen, while only seniors will be allowed on MIT’s campus for face-to-face learning.
In a statement, UMass President Marty Meehan condemned ICE’s orders.
“…the ICE guidance is cruel to valued members of our community while being counter-productive and destructive to one of the most important institutions we have: American higher education. It must be revoked immediately,” Meehan’s statement said in part.
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