Donald Trump’s State Department ended a three-week pause on student visa processing, but people applying for those visas now could be rejected if they do not make their social media profiles public. Immigration officials are vetting students for their political stances, particularly any pro-Palestine activism.
“A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” the State Department said in a statement on Saturday.
The State Department said it is screening applicants for those who “pose a threat to U.S. national security.” A cable was circulated about the news on Wednesday, the Free Press reported.
“Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications,” the State Department said in its Saturday statement. “To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public.’”
All three visas are related to studying in the U.S.
Wednesday’s cable, sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasized that the agency would be scanning for political activists. “Applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism,” he wrote, “especially when it is associated with violence… you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States.”
“During an online presence search, you might discover on social media that an applicant endorsed Hamas or its activities,” Rubio wrote, which could be grounds for rejection. Rubio also said that private social media posts could be interpreted as an effort to “hide certain activity.”
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In March, Rubio said that he had canceled more than 300 visas over pro-Palestine activism.
Colleges and universities have been a point of focus for the Trump administration as it seeks to crack down on immigrants and protests. On Friday, Columbia University pro-Palestine student activist Mahmoud Khalil was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center after spending three months there, missing the birth of his child.
To justify revoking Khalil’s visa and seeking his deportation, Rubio declared that his continued presence in America “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by ICE for six weeks. She alleges that the detention was due to a pro-Palestine op-ed she wrote.
Also on Friday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from preventing Harvard from admitting international students.
Universities have warned international students to avoid traveling abroad over the summer in case they have their visas revoked or are not allowed back into the U.S. for another reason.
“The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country,” a senior State Department official told The Wall Street Journal.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said. “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”
Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars instructed students to follow the guidance and assess their digital footprints and speak with an attorney if they have concerns.
“You should evaluate your risk regarding your social media presence and digital footprint to determine what, if any, action you should take before applying for a visa,” said Ozan Say, the office’s director, The Yale Daily News reported.
From Rolling Stone US
