A US judge gave much-needed relief to foreign students and journalists in the United States. The judge postponed the Trump’s new order about imposing limits on foreign students and journalists.
US federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration policy that would impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the country.
District Judge Dennis Saylor issued a preliminary injunction one day before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) planned to implement the new visa rules.
New Visa Rules Face Court Challenge
Under the proposed rules, foreign students would receive visas for a maximum of four years and would need extensions afterward.
Previously, international students could remain in the United States for the duration of their academic programmes.
Meanwhile, foreign journalists would face a 240-day limit, or about eight months, compared with the current five-year period.
Chinese journalists would receive visas for only 90 days and could seek additional 90-day extensions.
A coalition representing universities, teachers and journalists challenged the restrictions in federal court.
Saylor halted implementation without deciding the case’s merits and scheduled another hearing for October 2.
Judge Questions National Security Justification
In a separate memorandum, Saylor expressed serious concerns about the proposed restrictions on international students and journalists.
He noted that the existing system has brought tens of millions of foreign students to the United States.
According to Saylor, these students have contributed to major advances in science, medicine and technology while supporting significant economic growth.
He argued that DHS instead chose a system that could significantly reduce foreign students, researchers, professors and journalists.
The judge also criticised the proposed extension process, saying officials would have broad discretion without meaningful appeal options.
Saylor warned that such powers could allow officials to end academic, research or teaching activities without adequate justification.
He also raised concerns about potential discrimination against foreign journalists critical of the US government or DHS officials.
The judge further rejected DHS’s national security argument as weak and based largely on a limited number of individual cases.
The restrictions form part of Trump’s wider immigration crackdown, which includes stricter legal pathways and aggressive enforcement operations.
The United States hosted more than 1.1 million international students during the 2023-24 academic year, according to official data.
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