US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Tuesday, directed a halt to student visa processing, as the administration of President Donald Trump intensifies scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity, according to an internal cable.
The latest directive adds to a series of actions affecting international students — a key revenue stream for American universities — following Rubio’s revocation of hundreds of visas and the Trump administration’s attempt to block Harvard University from enrolling foreign students.
In a cable signed by Rubio and reviewed by AFP, embassies and consulates were instructed not to provide “any additional student or exchange visa… appointment capacity until further guidance is issued.”
The cable also noted that the State Department “plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applications.”
Although the suspension might be temporary, the message to embassies implied that further instructions would follow in the “coming days.”
Still, many U.S. missions already contend with significant processing delays.
State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, did not address the cable specifically but affirmed 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,” Bruce added.
When asked if students planning to study at U.S. universities could expect their visas to be ready before the fall term, Bruce responded: “If you’re going to be applying for a visa, follow the normal process, the normal steps, (and) expect to be looked at.”
Rubio told a Senate hearing last week that he has annulled “thousands” of visas since Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
He has relied on a little-known statute that empowers the secretary of state to expel foreign nationals for actions considered adverse to U.S. foreign policy interests.
Students engaged in activism related to Gaza have been among the most prominent individuals affected.Officials from the Trump administration have accused them of anti-Semitism — allegations that many of the students have strongly denied.
