US judge blocks Trump rule limiting foreign student and journalist visa stays

September 15, 2026 at 04:50 AM2 min

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A federal judge in Boston blocked a Trump administration rule that would have limited how long foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists can stay in the US. Judge F. Dennis Saylor issued the ruling one day before the Department of Homeland Security policy was to take effect. The decision came in a lawsuit brought by labor unions and higher education groups.

Key Facts

Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston blocked the rule one day before it was to take effect.
The rule would have limited F and J visa holders to four years and journalists to 240 days without renewal.
About 1.6 million F visa holders and 500,000 J visa holders are currently in the US.
The judge said DHS adopted the policy based on 'exceptionally weak arguments'.

The Ruling

Federal District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston issued the ruling in support of a coalition of labor unions and higher education organizations. The decision came one day before the Department of Homeland Security rule was to take effect. The rule would have required F, J and I visa holders to apply for extensions instead of staying for the duration of their status. Judge Saylor said the policy was adopted 'based on exceptionally weak arguments'.

Visa Impact

Under the blocked rule, students and exchange visitors could have stayed no more than four years, and journalists no more than 240 days. The court noted the change could substantially reduce the number of foreign students, teachers and journalists. Major universities would have suffered losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars. About 1.6 million F visa holders and 500,000 J visa holders are currently in the United States. Large research universities, including MIT and Harvard, have a high percentage of foreign graduate students.

Court Reasoning

The Department of Homeland Security cited national security and fraud prevention when adopting the rule. The court said DHS failed to meet legal obligations to consider risks and less burdensome alternatives. Judge Saylor said the rule 'turned upside down' a system that for nearly five decades allowed foreign students to stay for the duration of their status. That system allowed 'tens of millions of foreign students and researchers' to come to the US, leading to 'groundbreaking research in science, medicine and technology, substantial economic growth and many other benefits, often on a vast scale'.