Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said the Trump administration’s July 14 reversal of a policy regarding visas was a victory for students.

The reversal nullifies directions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would have taken visas away from international students whose coursework did not include at least one in-person class, and would have denied entry into the United States for students attending schools only offering classes online this fall.

That order was issued on July 6 and was challenged in lawsuits by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as attorneys general from states around the country, including California. With the Trump administration’s reversal, a policy established in March allowing students whose coursework was transferred online due to impacts of COVID-19 to stay in the country remains in effect.

“The Trump administration’s sudden reversal, in the face of a court challenge it was destined to lose, is a victory for these students, the colleges and universities at which they learn and the communities to which they contribute,” Feuer said. “The 20,000 international students who call Los Angeles home, and L.A.’s colleges and universities, can now rest a little easier. I’m proud of our leadership, with jurisdictions across the United States, in helping achieve this very important outcome.”