U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered a suspension of pupil visa processing as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up vetting of their social media, in line with an inside cable.
The cable, seen by AFP, orders embassies and consulates to not permit “any additional student or exchange visa… appointment capacity until further guidance is issued.”
It is the newest transfer that takes intention at worldwide college students, a significant income for U.S. universities, after Rubio rescinded a whole bunch of visas and the Trump administration moved to bar Harvard University from admitting any non-Americans.
The Trump administration lately rescinded Harvard University’s authority to enroll worldwide college students, escalating tensions with the Ivy League establishment amid pupil protests organized in opposition to Israel’s genocidal acts in Gaza.
The administration revoked Harvard’s certification within the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which supplies the college the flexibility to sponsor worldwide college students to get their visas and attend college within the United States.
The cable stated the State Department “plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applications.”
It prompt that the suspension could possibly be transient, telling embassies to obtain new steering within the “coming days,” though U.S. missions already often see main backlogs in processing purposes.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce didn’t remark instantly on the cable however stated that “we take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country.”
“It’s a goal, as stated by the president and Secretary Rubio, to make sure that people who are here understand what the law is, that they don’t have any criminal intent, that they are going to be contributors to the experience here, however short or long their status,” she stated.
Asked if college students in search of to check at U.S. universities ought to anticipate visas to be prepared earlier than phrases start within the autumn, Bruce stated solely: “If you’re going to be applying for a visa, follow the normal process, the normal steps, (and) expect to be looked at.”
Rubio final week informed a Senate listening to that he has revoked “thousands” of visas since Trump took workplace on Jan. 20.
Rubio has used an obscure regulation that permits the secretary of state to take away foreigners for actions deemed counter to U.S. international coverage pursuits.
Source: www.dailysabah.com