Approximately 8,000 miles away from New York, in the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, India, advertising executive Preeti Shri Suri stayed up all night on Sept. 14, waiting to hear the federal court’s judgment on a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that would have ended duration of status for international students studying at U.S. universities.
Suri’s daughter is an F-1 student pursuing a master’s degree in data science at New York University. She was closely following the case involving the Trump administration’s rule that threatened to limit how long international students holding F-1, J-1 or I visas could stay in the United States.
The rule was scheduled to take effect on Sept. 15, 2026. However, on Sept. 14, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV issued a preliminary injunction blocking the rule from taking effect, offering relief to thousands of international students pursuing their studies across the U.S.
On social media, dozens of forums for F-1 students and immigration discussions were active throughout the past few weeks, debating the possibility of the new rule taking effect. While many had predicted that a stay could be coming, the prospect of a continuing legal battle remains a concern for students.
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A master’s student at a top-ranked university on the East Coast, who requested anonymity, told The American Bazaar, “As international students we already have a lot riding on our heads. We know we have to justify the high-tuition most of our parents are paying along with understanding and adjusting to a newer academic as well as social set-up. But unnerving news like these, often leave us on tenterhooks and take away from us our precious time that we could spent studying or researching.”
“For instance,” he adds, “the same week as the verdict was supposed to come, I had a major assignment submission. I would be lying if I say that this news didn’t leave me rattled and I do feel my assignment submission suffered.”
Soon after the proposed rule was announced, academics and universities raised concerns about how it could affect thousands of international students who contribute to U.S. universities and the broader economy. Universities provided information through their websites and on-campus resources. Many international student offices also issued advisories reminding students to carry their immigration documents and maintain their immigration status.
Immigration attorney Gnanamookan Sethurjothi urged students to remain cautious even though the rule has not taken effect. He said, “This is a pause, not a final ruling. The government is expected to appeal, and the case is still being litigated.”
In the ruling that blocked the rule from taking effect on Sept. 15, the judge noted the potential damage such a policy could cause to American higher education and the economy, describing it as “likely to be catastrophic.”
He also observed that the harm had already begun, with some students disenrolling or deciding not to apply even before the rule took effect.
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The court record shows that 32 international students withdrew from one university in Baltimore, while applications from international students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee fell 42%.
According to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, the leading annual benchmark for international educational exchange in the United States, U.S. colleges and universities hosted nearly 1.2 million (1,177,766) international students during the 2024-25 academic year, a 5% increase from the previous year.
International students accounted for 6% of the total U.S. higher education population and contributed nearly $55 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The data also shows that international students supported more than 355,000 jobs across the United States, according to NAFSA.
Jason Czyz, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE), said, “This data highlights the impact international students have in driving innovation, advancing scholarship, and strengthening cross-cultural understanding.”
For now, as thousands of students feel a sense of relief, attorney Senthurjothi said, “If your F-1/J-1 program timeline, OPT/STEM OPT planning, or dependent status was built around the now-blocked rule, this is the moment to revisit it.”