Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the Iowa Board of Regents. 

The Trump administration announced Tuesday afternoon that they would be rescinding the recent ICE ruling regarding international students at universities that would only hold online classes for the fall semester.

This rescission comes after over 200 universities across the country, including Iowa State, spoke up in opposition of the ruling. 

Monday evening, Iowa Board of Regents university professors signed a letter to Congress asking for the ruling to be reversed. 

The Justice Department announced that the ruling would be dropped during a hearing in the U.S. District Court in Boston. The hearing was for a lawsuit regarding this ruling that was brought forward by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition to being challenged by many universities, lawmakers and states spoke out against this ruling as well. 17 states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, joining the lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT.

On July 6, the Trump Administration announced that international students would have to return home if their institutions would be providing on-campus classes this upcoming school year. Failure to comply could result in students being deported. 

Opposers to the ruling cited it as being wrong from a moral standpoint, while also being a foolish decision for the sake of the economy and the losses that schools have already faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Iowa Board of Regents university presidents released a statement expressing satisfaction about the ruling being reversed Tuesday evening 

Earlier this week, the Iowa Board of Regents stood with other universities across the country and shared its concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) new guidance regarding the visa status of international students enrolled at U.S. institutions of higher education. 

“Today we are gratified this guidance by ICE has been rescinded,” according to the statement. “As the presidents of the state’s Regents institutions, we stand with the more than 6,000 international students across our campuses. These talented and dedicated students represent more than 120 nationalities and contribute to the richness and vitality of our campus communities. We will continue to advocate for our international students, who are valued members of our campuses and communities.”