US Federal Judge Blocks Trump Rule Limiting Stay of Foreign Students, Journalists
September 15: In a major legal setback for the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, a federal judge has blocked a new rule that would have imposed fixed time limits on how long foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists could remain in the United States without seeking extensions.
U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV in Massachusetts issued the preliminary injunction on Monday, just one day before the Department of Homeland Security was due to implement the controversial rule nationwide.
The rule sought to replace the longstanding “duration of status” system with fixed periods of admission. International students would generally have faced a maximum stay of four years, or the length of their academic programme if shorter, while foreign journalists would generally have been limited to 240 days before requiring an extension.
The administration argued that the changes were necessary to strengthen oversight and prevent abuse of the immigration system. But Judge Saylor sharply questioned the government’s justification, finding that the Department of Homeland Security had failed to adequately explain why the sweeping changes were necessary.
The legal challenge was brought by a coalition representing higher education and labour interests, which warned that the new restrictions could discourage international students, researchers and journalists from coming to the United States.
For universities, the ruling provides immediate relief. International students and scholars currently covered by the existing system are not required to suddenly seek extensions under the blocked rule.
The ruling also represents a significant victory for foreign journalists. The blocked regulation would have replaced the open-ended duration-of-status system for international media representatives with fixed admission periods, forcing many journalists to repeatedly seek extensions in order to continue working in the United States.
The Trump administration now faces another courtroom battle over one of its most consequential immigration changes, with the new restrictions effectively paused while the legal challenge proceeds.
For thousands of international students, researchers and journalists, the judge’s order means the clock has stopped, at least for now.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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