US judge blocks Trump’s new rules limiting visa duration for students, journalists
A day before the rules were to take effect, the court said that Washington was adopting the policy based on ‘exceptionally weak’ rationales.
Black News 
A federal judge in the United States on Monday blocked the Donald Trump administration from implementing a new rule that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the US without applying to extend their visas, Reuters reported.
The judge ruled in favour of unions and higher education advocacy groups a day before the new rules were scheduled to take effect.
In July, the Trump administration had announced the new rules, under which international students would only be able to remain in the country for a maximum of four years. The changes would curb “visa abuse”, the Department of Homeland Security had said.
Since 1978, foreign students, or F visa holders, could stay in the US for their “duration of status” or as long as they were enrolled as a full-time student.
The new rule would impact visitors on cultural exchange programmes who possess a J visa and international journalists with an I visa. The visa for members of the media will be limited to 240 days.
These visas are currently available for the duration of an educational programme or employment in the US.
On Monday, the judge at a district court in Boston said that the homeland security department was adopting the policy based on “exceptionally weak” rationales.
The new regulations would change a...
