The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has made a public appeal to the Trump administration, urging a reevaluation of proposed regulations that would significantly shorten the allowable stay for foreign journalists in the United States. The organization warns that such changes could pose serious threats to press freedom.

Currently, foreign media professionals are granted entry to the U.S. under a "duration of status" (D/S) arrangement, which permits them to stay as long as they maintain employment with the same organization and abide by U.S. laws, without the need for regular visa renewals. However, under the new proposal detailed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this would be replaced by a rigid timeframe of 240 days for most journalists, and only 90 days for those from China, after which extensions must be sought according to the specifics of their assignments.

CPJ has expressed concerns that this change could lead to editorial interference by the government, effectively allowing the administration to leverage visa renewals to influence reporting. This could not only restrict the scope of journalistic inquiry but also limit American audiences' access to diverse international viewpoints on U.S. societal and political developments.

The proposed change is part of a broader effort by DHS to end the D/S status across various nonimmigrant categories, including visas for international students (F visas) and cultural exchange participants (J visas). Notably, the J visa category has been frequently utilized by employees of the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

The new rule would enforce fixed admission periods, limiting students and cultural exchange visitors to stays of up to four years, with some nationalities facing a cap of just two years. Journalists, on the other hand, would encounter much more stringent time limits. Any extension beyond these periods would require approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

DHS has opened the floor for public commentary on these proposals until September 29, providing a window for stakeholders and the public to express their views or concerns regarding the potential impacts on international media coverage and educational exchanges.

The CPJ's call to action underscores the critical role that foreign journalists play in providing nuanced and comprehensive coverage of global events from a U.S. perspective, highlighting the intrinsic value of safeguarding press freedoms against restrictive governmental policies.