WASHINGTON
A journalists' club based in Washington, DC, urged the Trump administration Wednesday to withdraw a proposal that would restrict how long foreign correspondents can live and work in the US.
“For 117 years, the National Press Club has welcomed foreign correspondents to Washington,” Mike Balsamo, the club’s president, said in a statement shared on US social media company X.
Calling foreign journalists witnesses, not guests, to democracy in the US, Balsamo highlighted their role in reporting "the story of America through world wars, civil rights struggles, and the end of the Cold War."
"This rule would make that work harder, not easier," he added.
Balsamo also underlined the risk of other countries introducing similar measures limiting the activities of foreign correspondents "based on nationality," pointing out how US journalists were expelled from China in 2020 amid visa disputes.
The club warned that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) proposed rule also undermines America’s reputation as a “safe harbor for reporters fleeing persecution.”
“A free press doesn’t stop at America’s borders. It depends on correspondents who can work here without fear their time will run out,” the statement said.
The proposal would change the existing system that applies to foreign journalists, whose visas can currently last several years according to their “duration of status.” If it goes into effect, the measure would limit such visas to 240 days, with journalists from China facing a stricter 90-day limit, subject to possible extensions.
The Trump administration published the proposed rule last month in the Federal Register. It would also affect international students and cultural exchange visitors, who would face visa caps of four years.
The DHS said the move is intended to curb “visa abuse” and enhance its ability to “properly vet and oversee” foreign nationals. The public has 30 days to submit feedback through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.