- US resumes student visa processing with stricter social media and online vetting.
- Applicants may be disqualified for political activism or posts deemed hostile to US values.
- Critics say the policy undermines free speech and targets pro-Palestinian voices.
The Trump government has resumed giving student visa appointments but with much tighter social media and online presence screening to determine foreign candidates who might have unfavourable opinions toward the United States or present national security concerns, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.
Dated June 18 and transmitted to U.S. missions around the world, the cable instructs consular officers to conduct "comprehensive and thorough vetting" of all student and exchange visitor visa applicants in order to identify those who display "hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles."
This came on the heels of a May 27 memo in which U.S. embassies and consulates were instructed to suspend new student and exchange visitor visa appointments until there are changes to the screening procedure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently assured that updated guidance would be forthcoming after an internal review.
The June 18 directive actually orders officers to keep a close eye on candidates with a history of political activism especially if it's tied to violence or ideologies that are threatening to U.S. values. It empowers consular officials to ask for public access to all of a candidate's social media, threatening to count restricted access as evidence of an effort to hide controversial behavior or affiliations.
The directive specifically points out that vetting must go beyond social media to the applicant's entire online life using search engines or other available online resources. The officers are asked to look for any derogatory material that could reflect adversely upon the applicant's eligibility. For instance, the cable mentions finding Hamas support on social media as a disqualifier.
The action follows heightened screening efforts implemented in May, aimed at visa applicants who are traveling to Harvard University, used as a pilot for further policy rollout.
Secretary Rubio has publicly declared that the administration has canceled hundreds, if not thousands, of visas, including those for students, on the grounds of actions deemed to be against U.S. foreign policy. This encompasses public aid to Palestinians and criticism of Israel's move in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Critics reason that these actions violate freedom of speech under the First Amendment. A case included a Turkish student from Tufts University, who was held for more than six weeks in a Louisiana immigration center after co-authoring an article that criticized her university's position on the war between Israel and Gaza. She was released only after her bail was granted by a federal judge.
