A U.S. federal court on the 14th (local time) put the brakes on the implementation of new immigration regulations by the Donald Trump administration that sought to limit the length of stay for international students and foreign journalists.

According to Reuters and AFP news agencies, Judge Dennis Saylor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston accepted a request from the plaintiffs—consisting of labor unions and education and immigration advocacy groups—and issued a preliminary injunction temporarily halting the implementation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation.

This decision came just one day before the regulation was set to take effect.

The ruling halts implementation without making a final judgment on the legality of the regulation, and an additional hearing is scheduled for the 2nd of next month.

Judge Saylor pointed out that the rationale put forward by the Department of Homeland Security in introducing the new regulation was extremely thin.

While the Department of Homeland Security cited national security and the need to prevent visa fraud as reasons, Judge Saylor determined that the agency failed to properly examine the problems arising from the policy change or fully consider alternative measures that could reduce the burden.

The new regulation halted by the court aims to abolish the so-called "Duration of Status" (D/S) system—which has applied to international students (F visas), exchange and visiting scholars (J visas), and foreign journalists (I visas)—and instead impose time limits based on visa categories.

Previously, individuals could stay in the United States without having to apply for separate extensions of stay as long as they continued activities matching the purpose of their visa issuance, such as studying, researching, or reporting.

However, under the new regulation, the period of stay would be limited to a maximum of four years for F and J visas, and up to 240 days for I visas. To remain in the U.S. beyond those periods, individuals would have to apply for and receive an extension of stay from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The plaintiffs argued that the new regulation would make stable studies and research difficult for international students and researchers, and impose a burden on U.S. educational institutions in securing foreign talent.

In addition, concerns were raised that setting a fixed period of stay for foreign journalists and subjecting them to extension reviews could restrict reporting activities and undermine press freedom.

Judge Saylor, appointed by former President George W. Bush, noted that the new regulation reverses the D/S system that the U.S. has maintained for about 50 years.

Judge Saylor also evaluated that tens of millions of foreign students and researchers have entered the U.S. through the existing system, making significant contributions to groundbreaking research in science, medicine, and technology, as well as economic growth.

Currently, there are approximately 1.6 million F visa holders and about 500,000 J visa holders in the United States.

I visa holders are estimated to number 37,000.

According to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S., as of last year, among South Koreans staying in the U.S., F-1 international students numbered 11,861 with 1,347 dependents (F-2); J-1 exchange visitors numbered 7,985 with 3,180 dependents (J-2); and I visa holders totaled 349.

Judge Saylor pointed out that the new regulation could significantly reduce the number of foreign students, professors, and journalists staying in the United States.

He mentioned that major research universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have high proportions of foreign students, particularly in graduate programs, and warned that if the regulation takes effect, it could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in costs and a decline in student enrollment.

He stated that "the potential damage to the U.S. higher education system and economy is likely to be catastrophic."

Reuters reported that the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the court's decision.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)