A federal judge in Massachusetts has delayed the implementation of a controversial Department of Homeland Security regulation that sought to limit the duration of international students’ stay in the United States to four years. The rule, which was scheduled to take effect on September 15, has been challenged in court by groups representing international students and universities. The decision temporarily prevents the regulation from being enforced while the legal challenge proceeds.

The ruling was issued by F. Dennis Saylor IV, the presiding judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In a detailed 48-page order, Saylor concluded that the Trump administration had not adequately addressed public comments received during the rulemaking process. The judge also found that officials failed to properly consider alternative approaches and had not sufficiently explained how the regulation was connected to its stated national security objectives.

Saylor’s order raised concerns under the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal law that governs how government agencies create and implement regulations. According to the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security did not provide a convincing explanation for several major aspects of the policy. The judge also questioned the government’s argument that restricting the length of international students’ stay was necessary to protect national security, saying the department had failed to establish a logical connection between the rule and that justification.

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The decision has significant implications for international students in the United States, many of whom rely on student visas to complete undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes. Under the proposed regulation, students could have faced stricter limits on their stay and potentially greater uncertainty when pursuing extensions or continuing their education. The court’s intervention means the rule will not come into force on the scheduled date, at least while the litigation remains unresolved.

F. Dennis Saylor IV is a federal judge serving on the Massachusetts district court, which handles major civil and criminal cases arising in the state. His ruling places him at the centre of a wider legal dispute over immigration policy, executive authority and the treatment of foreign students. The case also reflects growing scrutiny of administrative decisions made by federal agencies under the Trump administration.

The ruling does not permanently cancel the regulation, but it prevents its immediate implementation and requires the government to defend the policy through the ongoing legal process. The final outcome will depend on further proceedings and whether the Department of Homeland Security can address the procedural and legal deficiencies identified by the court. For now, international students and educational institutions have received temporary relief from the proposed four-year limit.

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