Trump Faces New Lawsuit Over Visa Limits for Students and Foreign Journalists
Posted on08/19/26 at 15:54
- Trump faces new lawsuit
- Visas will have greater restrictions
- Coalition seeks to halt rule
A coalition of eight educator associations and unions sued the administration of President Donald Trump over a new immigration rule.
The measure modifies the conditions of stay for foreign students, participants in cultural exchange programs, and journalists working in the United States.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent the rule from taking effect next month and establishes new limits for holders of F, J, and I visas.
Why it matters: The rule would reduce the authorized stay time for these foreigners and require them to apply for extensions to continue certain activities in the United States.
Student visas face new limits
#EEUU Demandan al Gobierno de Trump por limitar estadía de estudiantes y periodistas extranjeros https://t.co/ILIx629FMj
— Proceso Digital (@ProcesoDigital) August 19, 2026
The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Massachusetts by a coalition made up of eight educator associations and unions.
The goal is to block the implementation of the rule before it begins to apply next month, according to Efe.
The changes affect foreigners who enter the United States through three specific categories of visas.
F visas correspond to university students, while J visas include participants in cultural exchange programs.
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I visas are used by foreign representatives of media outlets who carry out journalistic activities within the country.
The new rule establishes that F and J visa holders will not be able to stay for more than four years per admission period.
For foreign journalists, the general limit will be considerably lower.
Those with an I visa will be able to stay for a maximum of 240 days, although they will have the possibility of applying for extensions.
Journalists with a Chinese passport will face an even greater restriction.
In these cases, the maximum stay period established by the rule will be 90 days.
Coalition questions the process followed by the DHS
The plaintiffs argue that the final rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act due to various deficiencies attributed to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to a statement from the coalition, the DHS «did not adequately evaluate» the costs and benefits related to the implementation of the changes.
The lawsuit also points out that the department did not respond significantly to the comments presented by the public during the process.
Another question is that the DHS did not consider less burdensome alternatives before establishing the new stay conditions.
The plaintiffs also allege that the Department of Homeland Security exceeded the legal authority it has to establish these modifications.
The coalition also questions the period established for the public to analyze and comment on the proposal.
According to the plaintiffs, there was no adequate public consultation period before the final version of the rule was established.
These arguments are part of the petition presented to the federal court to try to stop the entry into force of the changes.
Educators and journalists warn about the consequences
Fanta Aw, executive director of the Association of International Educators, NAFSA, the organization leading the lawsuit, directly questioned the consequences of the measure.
Aw assured in a statement that the rule will «seriously undermine» the contributions made by international students in the United States.
The director of NAFSA specifically mentioned their contributions to university campuses, the economy, and U.S. national security.
For this reason, the organization considers it necessary to stop the implementation of the new policy before it takes effect.
From the journalistic sector, questions also arose about the restrictions contemplated for foreign media representatives.
Jon Schleuss, president of The NewsGuild-CWA, criticized the changes established for visas used by international journalists.
The NewsGuild-CWA is the largest union of media workers in the United States.
Schleuss pointed out that the modifications represent another attempt by the Trump administration to limit the informative work done by journalists.
The union leader linked these measures to other actions by the administration, including the dismantling of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia.
Now, the coalition hopes that the federal court in Massachusetts will intervene before the rule begins to apply next month.
The decision will determine whether the new restrictions can take effect while the legal dispute driven by educators and media workers continues.