A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new rules that would have placed fixed time limits on how long certain foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists could remain in the country.
US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued the preliminary injunction on September 14, one day before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule was scheduled to take effect. The ruling means the new limits cannot currently be enforced while the legal challenge continues.
Under the blocked rule, students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas would generally have been admitted for a maximum of four years. Foreign journalists on I visas would have faced a limit of 240 days, while journalists from China would have faced a 90-day limit.
The court's order is preliminary, meaning it does not permanently cancel the regulation. The underlying lawsuit is still continuing, so the rules governing international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists could change again after further court proceedings.
