Federal judge temporarily blocks stricter rules on student visas

A federal judge is putting a temporary halt to rules issued by the Trump administration that would make it easier to find international students and scholars in violation of their visas. Judge Loretta Biggs of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina who is overseeing a lawsuit against the policy handed down the nationwide preliminary injunction of an August 2018 policy memorandum on unlawful presence time accrual. The judge concluded the regulations would cause “irreparable harm” to visa holders, making the injunction order necessary for the public interest. The order is in place until the conclusion of the case, though Biggs cited the plaintiffs’ likelihood of winning as a reason for the ruling. Northwestern had joined much of the higher education community in opposing the policy change, arguing it would make the U.S. a less welcoming place for international study and would harm American universities.