According to AFP, on September 14 (local time), federal judge Dennis Saylor suspended the implementation of new regulations by President Donald Trump's administration to limit the time foreign students and journalists are allowed to stay in the US without having to apply for extension.
The ruling was issued just one day before the new regulations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took effect.
According to regulations announced by DHS, international students will be allowed to stay for a maximum of 4 years, after which they must apply for an extension, instead of being allowed to stay in the US throughout their studies as before.
Foreign journalists will have their stay limited to only 240 days (about 8 months), but can apply for extensions with equivalent duration, instead of a maximum of 5 years. Chinese journalists are only allowed to stay for 90 days, with extensions also lasting 90 days.
Organizations representing universities, teachers and journalists have filed lawsuits to protest against the regulations issued by DHS.
Judge Saylor has not yet issued a verdict on the content of the lawsuit and is expected to open the next trial on October 2.
In the accompanying memorandum, Mr. Saylor expressed skepticism about restrictions on foreign students and journalists. At the same time, he said that the current system has created conditions for tens of millions of foreign students to come to the US, contributing to promoting scientific research, healthcare, technology and economic growth.
According to official figures, the US received more than 1.1 million international students in the 2023-2024 academic year, more than any other country in the world.
