From thefederal.com.
Miami (September 8, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed concern that proposals to reduce the length of visas and work permits for foreign journalists in the United States could set back press freedom, creating a mechanism of control that may be used to pressure or silence reporters critical of the government.
The administration of President Donald Trump, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), submitted on August 28 a proposal to limit the stay of foreign journalists in the U.S. to 240 days, with the possibility of one extension for the same period, subject to strict review.
The measure would replace the current permits that allow journalists to extend their stay indefinitely. According to DHS, the initiative is intended to address alleged “security risks” and curb what it calls “visa abuse,” with similar effects on students and exchange visitors.
IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz, CEO and Publisher of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador, warned: “The proposed measure introduces permanent uncertainty over the presence of foreign correspondents, which could encourage self-censorship and discourage critical coverage of the U.S. government. Adopting restrictive visa practices like those the U.S. has criticized in authoritarian regimes undermines its moral authority on the international stage.”
Martha Ramos, Chair of the IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information and Editorial Director of Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM), said: “This initiative represents yet another way to restrict access to information and stifle international criticism, an attempt to condition public discourse. It also creates the risk of retaliatory measures by other governments against U.S. journalists, thereby limiting the global flow of information.”
Ramos added that “the proposal does not address any real security issue, but it does open the door to covert censorship, political retaliation, and new obstacles to transparency and access to information of public interest.”
The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) described the proposal as “discriminatory” and said it seeks to resolve a “nonexistent problem,” in reference to the supposed national security threat posed by foreign journalists in the U.S.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also rejected the initiative, warning that it would have an intimidating effect on the press and urged DHS to withdraw it. “The arbitrary renewal or denial of visas is a tactic commonly used by authoritarian regimes to expel inconvenient reporters,” RSF stated.
DHS announced that public comments on the proposed changes can be submitted online before the October 26 deadline.
In 2020, the IAPA joined 2020 the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and 36 other media organizations in calling on the DHS to withdraw a similar proposal.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.