US judge blocks Trump limits on visa durations for foreign students, journalists

Key facts

• A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule limiting visa durations for foreign students and journalists.
• The judge called the rule "absurd" and found the Department of Homeland Security had not adhered to legal obligations.
• The rule would have capped F visas (students) and J visas (cultural exchange) at four years, and I visas (journalists) at 240 days.
• The judge ruled that the policy was based on "exceptionally weak" rationales and would cause "catastrophic" damage to higher education and the economy.

A federal judge on Monday blocked a Trump administration rule that would have limited the duration of visas for foreign students and journalists, a day before it was set to take effect. US District Judge Dennis Saylor in Boston ruled in favor of a coalition of unions and higher education advocacy groups, stating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adopted the policy based on "exceptionally weak" rationales and had not adhered to its legal obligations.

Saylor, an appointee of George W. Bush, wrote that the rule sought to replace a nearly five-decade-old "duration of status" system with one that would substantially restrict the number of foreign students, professors, and journalists in the US. Under the proposed rule, F visas for international students and J visas for cultural exchange programs would be capped at four years, while I visas for journalists would be limited to 240 days. The judge noted that the rule could cause "catastrophic" damage to the US higher education system and economy, potentially costing universities hundreds of millions of dollars and leading to enrollment declines.

James Percival, the DHS general counsel, criticized the ruling, stating that it permits "rampant abuse of our immigration system." Miriam Feldblum, head of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, one of the plaintiffs, praised the decision, saying it "preserves the longstanding system that enables our colleges and universities – and our country – to attract, educate, and retain global talent."