A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from implementing new rules that would sharply limit how long foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists can remain in the United States.
US District Judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, just one day before the Department of Homeland Security rule was due to take effect. The decision temporarily preserves the existing system while the legal challenge continues, with a further hearing scheduled for October 2.
The new policy would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” system, which has allowed international students to remain in the country while they maintain valid student status and continue their studies. Under the proposed rules, F visas for international students and J visas for exchange visitors would generally have been limited to four years. Foreign journalists holding I visas would have faced stays of up to 240 days, while Chinese journalists would have been restricted to 90 days at a time.
Judge Saylor criticised the government’s justification for the changes, describing the Department of Homeland Security’s reasoning as “exceptionally weak”. He said officials had failed to adequately consider public concerns or less restrictive alternatives and questioned claims that the restrictions were necessary for national security.
The case was brought by a coalition representing universities, educators, unions and journalists. They argued that the rule could disrupt academic programmes, research and university finances, particularly for students pursuing postgraduate and doctoral degrees that often take more than four years to complete.
Saylor warned that implementation could cause potentially catastrophic damage to the US higher education system and economy. He noted that the country’s universities have benefited for decades from international students and researchers, whose contributions have supported scientific, medical and technological advances.
The ruling is another setback for the Trump administration’s broader immigration agenda, but it does not permanently overturn the rule. The legal battle is expected to continue as the government defends its policy in court.
