Play store
First, it was the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, then a crackdown on liberal-minded academics at prestigious US universities, and now restrictions on foreign journalists based in the United States.
The proposed restrictions may also affect scores of journalists covering the United Nations, including those who are part of national delegations scheduled to arrive in New York next week for the high-level segment of the 81st session of the General Assembly, which is expected to be attended by more than 130 world leaders.
According to the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU), nearly 5,000 media representatives are accredited to the UN, including those holding long-term and temporary IDs, with the latter mostly issued for the annual General Assembly sessions.
The Foreign Press Association (FPA), the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have jointly expressed strong opposition to a July 2026 US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed regulation that would heavily restrict foreign media “I” visas.
“Together with the SPJ and the CPJ, we have drafted a letter to Congress setting out our case against the impending changes and asking them to intervene promptly. We thank our sister organisation, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA), for its prompt and effective support in getting attention on the Hill.”
“These restrictions are an arbitrary and unilateral tariff wall against the exchange of ideas and information,” said Ian Williams, FPA president.
“We ask all our members to enlist other signatories to the letter and to approach legislators who can help stop these pernicious proposals. We have been here before. Last time such proposals were raised, FPA and SPJ led the battle to thwart them — but they are back, and we are pleased this time to be backed by so many other organisations.”
At a press briefing on August 31, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked whether the Secretary-General was aware of the proposed visa restrictions, due to take effect on September 15, and whether they could affect international journalists.
“Is he concerned that this could impact coverage — not only of the United States, but of the United Nations, given it limits journalists to 240 days and many journalists’ organisations are very concerned about the impact that this will have on journalists?” he was asked.
In response, Dujarric said: “Look, of course, countries have the right to decide on visa policies. But we would hope that we see here in our host country a policy that allows for the maximum number of international journalists to cover, including to cover the UN.”
Despite the 1947 Headquarters Agreement between the US and the UN, which calls on Washington to facilitate the functioning of the UN, the US has denied visas to several heads of government planning to visit the UN, as well as some people accredited as diplomats.
The US State Department says its mission is “to enhance the United States’ global influence by helping foreign journalists develop a deeper understanding of U.S. policy, society, and values through programmes and services that connect them with authoritative American information sources”.
“Our mission reflects a commitment to fostering informed global dialogue, ensuring that international coverage of U.S. affairs goes beyond the surface and captures the complexity of American life,” it says.
With more than 1,500 accredited foreign journalists in the US, the department says its offices “connect U.S. policy and cultural experts with audiences worldwide”. It adds that journalists credentialed with the centres are “leading voices in their home countries”, thereby amplifying “with their own credibility the access we curate and facilitate”.
Every year, US Foreign Press Centres host dozens of experts from the private, public and academic sectors for on-the-record briefings on a variety of relevant topics.
According to the FPA, the US proposals also have broader implications for freedom of speech and movement beyond journalists. They could affect academics, students and other skilled professionals. The association said it was therefore encouraging to see a growing number of organisations from other sectors joining the opposition.
“These proposed regulations will restrict both the numbers and the freedoms of international reporters in the US. We urge you to persuade colleagues to join the FPA to help us combat the proposals and assist colleagues who might be affected,” Williams said.
Last week, US District Judge F Dennis Saylor criticised the Trump administration for imposing new restrictions on the duration of visas affecting international journalists and students. The changes affect F, J and I visas and alter how long students and journalists can stay, creating significant barriers for those who need to extend their time in the United States.
“I think that the uncertainty point in terms of the impact of the potential irreparable harm is enormous,” Judge Saylor said.
Williams told Inter Press Service (IPS): “It is good that our issue is tied with other educational and work visas, so there are some influential litigants fighting this in the courts. The administration seems prejudicially impervious to reality.”
“All our sources suggest that they did not consult with relevant officials in the State Department, which issues the visas,” he said. “It’s apparent that the framers of the visa restrictions ignored the overwhelming majority of the requests for feedback, which opposed the proposals.”
As a result, the foreign press are caught in a “very imperfect storm”.
Williams said the MAGA operatives behind the moves combine “ignorance and arrogance”. He argued that they are profoundly suspicious of both the media and foreigners, making the foreign press a dual target.
He also criticised what he described as a lack of understanding of how the media operate beyond simply recycling corporate and White House press releases.
“In effect they are telling journalists whose beat is STEM, Wall Street, media, art, American politics and industry, that they can amass all the expertise they need to know in less than 240 days — and that they face the chance of being excluded if their work does not reflect the administration’s view,” Williams said. Source: IPS