US judge blocks Trump visa caps as states challenge green-card rule
The rulings and lawsuits target proposed limits on student, exchange visitor and journalist visas, along with broader “public charge” criteria for green-card applicants.
The Trump administration has suffered two legal setbacks over immigration rules, with a federal judge blocking proposed time limits on several visa categories as states and local governments challenged a separate Department of Homeland Security regulation.
US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued an injunction blocking proposed caps on F visas for international students, J visas for exchange visitors and I visas for journalists. The proposal would have limited F and J visas to four years and I visas to 240 days.
The existing system allows international students and exchange visitors to remain in their visa categories without those fixed limits, while journalist visas can currently last for years. Saylor described the DHS rationale, which cited national security and fraud prevention, as “exceptionally weak”.
The visa case was brought by trade unions and higher education advocacy groups. The report estimates the proposed measures would affect about 1.6 million international students holding F visas and 500,000 exchange visitors on J visas.
Separately, New York, California and Illinois led a coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia in suing to block a proposed DHS regulation on “public charge” assessments. Six cities and counties filed a parallel action.
The regulation would broaden consideration of non-cash benefits, including food assistance and Medicaid, when authorities assess green-card applications. The lawsuits argue DHS exceeded its authority by imposing residency restrictions that should be set by Congress. The supplied report does not give a final outcome in those cases.
