diff --git a/app/models/importers/assignment_importer.rb b/app/models/importers/assignment_importer.rb
index c4c0ea03734b5..875d9bf7b3589 100644
--- a/app/models/importers/assignment_importer.rb
+++ b/app/models/importers/assignment_importer.rb
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ def self.import_from_migration(hash, context, migration, item = nil, quiz = nil)
       if new_record || item.deleted? || master_migration
         restore_lti_models(item) if item.deleted?
         item.workflow_state = if item.can_unpublish?
-                                hash[:workflow_state] || "published"
+                                hash[:workflow_state] || "unpublished"
                               else
                                 "published"
                               end
diff --git a/spec/models/content_migration/course_copy_assignments_spec.rb b/spec/models/content_migration/course_copy_assignments_spec.rb
index 2080c00df7d3a..a6324440a5fd9 100644
--- a/spec/models/content_migration/course_copy_assignments_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/content_migration/course_copy_assignments_spec.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,17 @@
       end
     end
 
+    it "copies assignments as unpublished" do
+      from_assign = @copy_from.assignments.create!(title: "published assignment")
+      from_assign.publish!
+      expect(from_assign).to be_published
+
+      run_course_copy
+
+      to_assign = @copy_to.assignments.where(migration_id: mig_id(from_assign)).first!
+      expect(to_assign).to be_unpublished
+    end
+
     it "links assignments to account rubrics and outcomes" do
       account = @copy_from.account
       lo = create_outcome(account)