US judge blocks foreign student, journalist visa limits

A US federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from implementing new visa rules that would impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can study or work in the United States.

District Judge Dennis Saylor issued a preliminary injunction one day before the Department of Homeland Security rules were scheduled to take effect. He did not rule on the merits of the case and scheduled another hearing for October 2.

Under the proposed rules, foreigners on student visas would be admitted for a maximum of up to four years, after which they would have to apply for an extension. International students had previously been allowed to remain for the duration of their studies.

Foreign journalists would be limited to stays of 240 days, or about eight months, but could apply for extensions of similar length. They had previously been allowed to stay up to five years. Chinese journalists would be limited to 90-day stays, with possible 90-day extensions.

A coalition of unions representing universities, teachers and journalists sued to challenge the restrictions.

In an accompanying memo, Saylor questioned the policy. He said the current system had allowed tens of millions of foreign students to come to the United States, contributing to research, economic growth and other benefits.

Saylor said the proposed rules would give DHS officials broad discretion to deny extensions with no appeal. He warned that foreign journalists critical of the government or DHS officials could be at risk of non-renewal.

DHS had cited national security grounds when proposing the rule. Saylor said that argument “borders on the absurd” and was based almost entirely on a small number of anecdotes.

The restrictions are part of a broader immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump. The United States welcomed more than 1.1 million international students in the 2023-24 academic year, more than any other country, according to official data.