Upon replacing Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, Markwayne Mullin joined President Donald Trump in taking steps to punish and intimidate news outlets that covered him and his administration unfavorably. We’re documenting Mullin’s efforts in this regularly updated report.
Read about how Trump’s appointees and allies in Congress are striving to chill reporting, revoke funding, censor critical coverage and more.
This article was first published on Aug. 5, 2026.
July 16, 2026 | DHS secretary announces new visa limits for foreign journalists
The Department of Homeland Security announced on July 16, 2026, that it would curtail visas for foreign journalists in the U.S. to 240 days, instead of years, and those for Chinese journalists to only 90 days.
The new rule specifically eliminates the “duration of status” system, which allows foreign journalists, students and exchange visitors to remain in the United States as long as they meet eligibility requirements.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin condemned the system as outdated, asserting that it had “compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud.”
“By implementing clear, finite limits on these visas, the United States is reclaiming its ability to properly screen, vet, and monitor individuals within our borders,” Mullin continued.
The policy change — specifically its changes to the nonimmigrant I visa for foreign journalists — was met with immediate condemnation from press freedom advocates.
“This change destroys international journalists’ ability to report from the US and makes it extremely difficult for international outlets to operate here at all,” wrote Ben Grazda, advocacy manager for Reporters Without Borders. “Not only does this impose unnecessary personal, legal, and financial burdens on journalists and their outlets, but it also represents yet another sanction on the press by the Trump administration and the unaccountable Department of Homeland Security. The relentless cycle of visa renewals restricts press freedom, as journalists will feel compelled to avoid drawing the administration’s ire, lest their applications be rejected.”
Jose Zamora, Americas regional director at the Committee to Protect Journalists, called it “the behavior of a backsliding democracy.”
The rule is scheduled to go into effect Sept. 15, and China’s Foreign Ministry has already called the policy discriminatory and warned that it may take retaliatory action, The Associated Press reported.
In 2020, DHS announced 90-day restrictions on visas for Chinese journalists as part of at least eight months of escalations between the U.S. and China, with journalists in the middle. The restrictions were ultimately loosened when President Joe Biden took office.
This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database | Radio Free (2026-08-05T15:57:22+00:00) Markwayne Mullin targets press as secretary of homeland security. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2026/08/05/markwayne-mullin-targets-press-as-secretary-of-homeland-security/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.