2 hrs ago
Judge Blocks Trump Visa Limits for Foreign Students, Journalists
A U.S. judge temporarily stopped a new rule about visas for people from other countries.
The rule covered students, cultural-exchange visitors and foreign journalists.
Students and exchange visitors could have stayed for up to four years before needing an extension.
Journalists could have been limited to 240 days, while Chinese journalists could have received only 90-day periods.
The government said the rule would help protect national security and prevent fraud.
The judge said the government had not explained the change well enough.
He also worried that extensions could be denied without a meaningful appeal.
Universities and advocacy groups said the limits could hurt schools, research and the economy.
The court will consider the case further while the older system remains in place.
U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV temporarily blocked a Trump administration rule limiting foreign student, exchange-visitor and journalist stays.
The Department of Homeland Security rule was scheduled to take effect one day after the ruling.
F and J visas would generally have been capped at four years, while I visas for foreign journalists would have been limited to 240 days.
The rule would have required extensions for additional time, with Chinese journalists reportedly limited to 90-day periods.
Saylor questioned DHS’s national-security and fraud-prevention justifications and warned of major effects on universities and the U.S. economy.
- Who
- U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled in a lawsuit brought by unions and higher-education and immigration advocacy groups.
- What
- The judge postponed implementation of a Department of Homeland Security rule imposing fixed limits on certain foreign students’, exchange visitors’ and journalists’ stays.
- Where
- The ruling was issued in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
- When
- The ruling was issued Monday, one day before the rule was scheduled to take effect; a further hearing was scheduled for October 2, 2026.
- Why
- Saylor said DHS relied on weak rationales, failed to adequately address concerns and did not consider less burdensome alternatives.
Trump Administration and DHS
Challengers and Court
Justification for restrictions
Trump Administration and DHS
DHS cited national security and fraud prevention as reasons for replacing the longstanding duration-of-status system.
Challengers and Court
Saylor said the rationales were exceptionally weak, relied heavily on limited anecdotes and did not adequately address concerns or alternatives.
Visa extensions
Trump Administration and DHS
The proposed system would require students, exchange visitors and journalists needing more time to apply for extensions.
Challengers and Court
The judge warned that DHS officials could deny extensions using vague criteria, potentially without an effective appeal or recourse.
Effect on universities and journalism
Trump Administration and DHS
The administration sought fixed limits that would restrict the overall number of foreign students, researchers, professors and journalists in the United States.
Challengers and Court
The plaintiffs and Saylor said the policy could reduce enrollment, harm research and cause substantial damage to universities and the economy.
Key facts
- F visas
- International student visas would generally have been limited to a maximum of four years.
- J visas
- Exchange-visitor visas would generally have been limited to a maximum of four years.
- I visas
- Foreign media representatives would have been limited to stays of up to 240 days at a time.
- Chinese journalists
- The proposed policy would have limited their stays to 90 days, with possible 90-day extensions.
- Current visa holders
- About 1.6 million people hold F visas and about 500,000 hold J visas.
- Court status
- Saylor issued a preliminary injunction or postponement without deciding the case’s ultimate merits.
- Potential impact
- The judge said universities could face hundreds of millions of dollars in costs and declining enrollment, with potentially catastrophic effects on higher education and the U.S. economy.
Quotes
F. Dennis Saylor
U.S. District Judge for the District of Massachusetts who blocked the DHS rule
“A DHS official -- based on limited and vague criteria, and with no possibility of appeal -- will have the power to cut short the academic, research, or teaching activities of any non-US citizen for no reason or any reason.”
deccanchronicle.com
“The possibilities for abuse are rampant -- in particular, the obvious likelihood that the visas of foreign journalists who are critical of the government (or, more particularly, DHS officials) will not be renewed.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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