A US federal judge has blocked a Trump administration rule that would set fixed limits on how long foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists can stay in the country, a blow to the administration’s immigration policies.
US District Judge F. The decision by Dennis Saylor in Boston came Monday, a day before it was to have taken effect. The rule would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” regime with set periods of stay.
Foreign students and exchange visitors would typically be restricted to four years under the rule, while most foreign journalists would have been restricted to stays of no more than 240 days. Chinese journalists would normally have had 90 days.
Saylor said the Department of Homeland Security did not adequately justify the change and failed to consider less burdensome alternatives. He is reported to have said the economic and educational consequences were “catastrophic”.
The decision temporarily leaves the current visa system in place while the legal challenge unfolds. Universities and advocacy groups argued the proposed restrictions would disrupt international education, research and media work in the United States.
The administration has defended the rule as being required to prevent abuse and to improve oversight of foreign visitors.
