Rubio suspended visa interviews last month, while the State Department sets rules for social media screenings.
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according to politics.
The new process will include screening “any sign of hostility towards citizens, culture, government, institutions or American principles”, according to internal domestic cables.
Department officials will also look for posts that “advocate, aid or support foreign terrorists and threats to national security” and “support for anti-Semitic harassment or violence”, especially citing support for Hamas, a lawsuit against Palestinian rights, often against the basis of rejection allegations against Palestinian rights. The cable also directed officials to review “Applicants who showcase the history of political action.”
The news comes weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended all student visa interviews to implement a new screening policy for students’ online activities. The Associated Press reported that the department canceled the pause, but applicants who did not allow the government to review their social media accounts could be denied.
The cable is the latest Trump administration effort to reduce international student flow to the United States, as thousands of foreign students wait for visa approval after months of delay until the start of the fall semester.
A spokesperson for the State Council did not respond Internal Advanced ED Timely publish.
