A US federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration rule that sought to impose stricter time limits on visas for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists, offering relief to international students, including those from India.
Massachusetts District Judge F Dennis Saylor IV issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, one day before the rules were scheduled to take effect. He said the policy was likely to cause “catastrophic” harm to the US economy and higher-education system, rejecting the administration's argument that the restrictions were necessary to protect national security.
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The ruling prevents the government from implementing the policy while the legal challenge proceeds. Saylor also rejected the administration's request to limit the injunction only to the organisations that filed the lawsuit.
Restricting relief to the 600 plaintiff institutions could lead to a fragmented regulatory system across the country's 5,000+ colleges, according to the judge, causing confusion and inconsistent enforcement for students and schools.
The Trump administration's finalised July rule establishes a four-year cap on student and exchange visitor visas, limits foreign journalists to 240 days, and includes specific restrictions for Chinese media workers.
The rules were also to give officials at the Department of Homeland Security discretion over extension requests, without providing an appeal mechanism if an extension was denied.
Higher-education organisations and labour unions challenged the policy in court, arguing that the restrictions would disrupt education and research. Harvard President Alan M Garber had previously criticised the four-year student visa limit as unusual, noting that PhD programmes typically take at least six years.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the restrictions, saying they would help combat visa fraud and make it easier to prevent overstays.
However, Saylor raised concerns about potential misuse, particularly against foreign journalists critical of the government or DHS officials. He questioned whether the policy's real purpose could include increasing government control over academic institutions and the press.
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The preliminary injunction will remain in place as the broader legal challenge continues.
(With the PTI inputs)
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