A US federal judge in Boston postponed on Monday the entry into force of new stay restrictions in the United States for foreign students and journalists, measures determined by the administration of President Donald Trump. The judge postponed, until further notice, the application of the regulation that was scheduled for this Tuesday, September 15, without ruling on the merits of the case.
The judge granted the request of organizations representing higher education institutions, professors, unions and media professionals. According to the regulation published in July in the Federal Register, foreign citizens with student visas would no longer be permitted to remain in US territory for more than four years, and foreign journalists would have their stays limited to 240 days, with the possibility of renewal.
Chinese journalists would be subject to a particularly restrictive regime, with visas limited to 90 days. Until then, the United States granted visas for the duration of the student's program and up to five years to foreign journalists.
Around a hundred news outlets and international press organizations, including the Agence France-Presse, stated in an open letter that the new regulation would harm the amount and quality of coverage of American news.
