US President Donald Trump’s administration has received 2 major legal setbacks regarding immigration policy.
According to international media reports, the immigration policy of Donald Trump’s administration has faced resistance on two important legal fronts on the same day.
First, a federal court has blocked a government proposal to limit the duration of visas for foreign students and journalists.
According to Arab Media, Boston Federal Court Judge F. Dennis Sellers IV has imposed a temporary ban on the administration’s decision to set the length of stay of foreign students and journalists, a move that was supposed to take effect on Tuesday.
Under the government proposal, the duration of F visa for foreign students and J visa for those participating in cultural exchange programs was to be set to a maximum of 4 years, while the duration of I visa for journalists was proposed to be limited to 240 days.
The judge called the government’s justification for preventing fraud in the national security and visa system extremely weak, saying that under the current system, millions of researchers and experts have contributed to research and economic development in the United States, so the effects of the new restrictions could be devastating to higher education and the American economy.
About 1.6 million foreign students and 500,000 exchange program participants could be affected by the restrictions.
On the other hand, 22 states and the District of Columbia, led by New York, California and Illinois, have filed a lawsuit against another government regulation.
Under this regulation, immigration officials can deny permanent residence permits to immigrants who legally qualify for government welfare benefits.
The Trump administration maintains that under the new policy, the use of non-cash government benefits, including food and medical treatment, will also be taken into account in the decision of permanent residence, while benefits received by the applicant’s family members may also be part of the assessment.
The states that filed the suit argue that the administration overstepped Congress’ authority, because only Congress has the authority to set legal standards for permanent residency.
According to states, punishing people who use legal benefits like food aid and government medical facilities is against federal laws.
New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani has also said that the new policy is an attempt to distance immigrant families from facilities that have provided people with basic food and health needs for decades.