The National Press Club has urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to withdraw a proposed rule that would sharply restrict the ability of foreign correspondents to live and work in the United States.
The proposal would replace the long-standing “duration of status” system with fixed admission periods of 240 days, and just 90 days for Chinese nationals.
“For 117 years, the National Press Club has welcomed foreign correspondents to Washington,” said Mike Balsamo, 118th president of the club. “Foreign journalists are not guests in our democracy — they are witnesses to it. Their reporting has told the story of America through world wars, civil rights struggles, and the end of the Cold War. This rule would make that work harder, not easier.”
The club warned that the rule risks triggering retaliation against American reporters overseas. “When we treat journalists differently based on nationality, we invite other countries to do the same,” Balsamo said. “In 2020, US reporters were expelled from China amid visa disputes. We cannot afford to put our own journalists at risk by setting that precedent here.”
The club stressed that the proposal also threatens America’s reputation as a safe harbor for reporters fleeing persecution. “Uncertainty and bureaucracy are the enemies of strong reporting,” Balsamo said. “A free press doesn’t stop at America’s borders. It depends on correspondents who can work here without fear that their time will run out.”
The National Press Club called on DHS to maintain the current system and reaffirm the United States’ role as a global leader in press freedom.
The National Press Club. Photo credit: Terissa Schor/Wikipedia.
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