President Donald Trump this week ignited a wave of criticism from conservatives when he suggested the United States needed a path for highly skilled foreign workers to enter the country.

Trump’s comments on the H-1B visa program echo the perspective of business leaders but have been controversial among members of his base who want a more hardline approach to immigration.

At the same time, the Trump administration has been quietly pushing a series of new restrictions on other visas targeting students and foreign journalists, raising a different set of concerns for some over the future of academic and press freedom.

A proposed Department of Homeland Security rule would change existing policy by granting visa holders with F, J or I classifications – academic students, exchange visitors and members of foreign media – admission to the U.S. for a fixed time period. Such individuals are currently permitted to stay indefinitely as long as they’re abiding by the terms of their visa.

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