India, Sept. 15 -- A US federal judge on Monday blocked a Trump administration policy that would have sharply curtailed how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the country, a day before the rules were due to take effect.

Massachusetts district judge F Dennis Saylor issued a preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rules, warning the policy could inflict "catastrophic" damage on the US economy and higher education system. He rejected the government's argument that the tighter limits were needed to protect the country.

The pause is the latest legal setback for President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which has tried to or implemented multiple measures such as capping student visa dura...