By Humeyra Pamuk
WASHINGTON () -President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by on Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments.
The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda.
Several hundred protesters, including Harvard University students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students at the Harvard campus on Tuesday, while also protesting Trump administration efforts to cut off funding to the university.
In the memo, initially revealed by Politico, Rubio stated that pending appointments can move forward following the present protocols. However, he also mentioned that unclaimed appointment slots ought to be removed from availability.
The department is currently reviewing the current procedures used for screening and vetting F, M, and J visas issued to students and exchange visitors. Following this assessment, they intend to release guidelines that will include enhanced social media scrutiny for these candidates, as stated in the cable.
A high-ranking official from the State Department verified the correctness of the cable.
Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, refused to comment on the reports about the cable but stated that the U.S. would utilize “all available tools” for screening individuals seeking entry into the country.
“We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” Bruce told reporters at a regular news briefing.
According to the cable, the enhanced social media screening process will necessitate changes in how consular sections operate, manage their workflows, and allocate resources. It recommends that these sections consider both the workload and resource needs for each case prior to scheduling interviews moving forward.
The cable further instructs consular divisions to concentrate on aiding U.S. citizens, processing immigrant visas, and preventing fraud.
Officials from the Trump administration have stated that international students and green card holders who express backing for Palestinians and criticize Israel’s actions during the conflict in Gaza may face deportation. They argue these individuals pose a risk to U.S. foreign policy and allege they support Hamas.
Critics of Trump have labeled this initiative as an assault on free speech rights protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
A student at Tufts University who hails from Turkey spent more than six weeks in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana following her collaboration on an op-ed that criticized her institution’s reaction to Israel’s conflict with Gaza. Her release came about when a federal judge approved her bail request.
The previous week, the Trump administration took steps to rescind Harvard’s permission to admit international students. These approximately 6,800 students represent around 27% of Harvard’s overall student body.
The administration of the Republican president has taken steps to weaken the financial stability and international reputation of the country’s most ancient and richest educational institution following its refusal to implement significant alterations to its policies as demanded by the government.
(Humeyra Pamuk reported this story; additional reporting was provided by Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis; writing credit goes to Daphne Psaledakis; editing was done by Daniel Wallis, Nick Zieminski, and Lincoln Feast.)
