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7/16/26
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Homeland Security announcing it would tighten the duration of visas for foreign journalists:
"We are outraged that the Trump administration has cruelly limited the duration of visas for foreign journalists from a period of up to five years to a fixed eight months. This change destroys international journalists' ability to report from the US and makes it extremely difficult for international outlets to operate here at all. Not only does this create unnecessary personal, legal, and financial burdens for journalists and their outlets, it represents yet another sanction against the press by the Trump administration and the unaccountable Department of Homeland Security. The relentless cycle of visa renewals restricts press freedom, as journalists will feel compelled to avoid drawing the administration’s ire, lest their applications be rejected. The US has been a champion of freedom of speech and of the press, but this policy is a direct violation of those values. The US is where journalists should be able to report free of government censorship and political pressure. Congress must act to ensure foreign journalists are able to work freely, and in turn, share stories from the US that affect them at home."
Ben Grazda
Advocacy Manager, RSF North America
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