Latest news with #socialmediavetting
The Verge
4 days ago
- General
- The Verge
International students sue over Trump's social media surveillance plan
Fifteen Iranian students and researchers sued the Trump administration for completely halting student visa interviews while it determines whether to vet all visa applicants' social media accounts. The suit, filed against Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a Virginia federal court, claims that the pause on student visa interviews violates the Administrative Procedures Act, a law prohibiting capricious rule-making. The complaint is currently sealed. In an email, Curtis Morrison and Hamdi Masri, lawyers for the students, noted that the State Department has required visa applicants to disclose their social media handles since May 2019. Visa applicants from certain Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, are already subject to 'extensive social media vetting,' Masri said, adding that Trump seemed to want to 'ensure students entering align with his political values.' The students and researchers who brought the suit against Rubio were admitted to universities across the country — including Yale, Ohio State, and the University of South Florida — for graduate programs in computer science, engineering, finance, and other disciplines. Per their attorneys, each of the students had already attended visa interviews, but all of their applications are currently 'awaiting national security vetting.' Some of the students were interviewed over a year ago. The pause on student visa interviews is part of the Trump administration's multi-pronged attack on universities and international students. On Wednesday, Rubio said the State Department would start working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese Students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.' On May 22nd, DHS rescinded Harvard's access to a federal database used to track foreign students' enrollment, putting nearly 6,800 people enrolled at Harvard at risk of immediate deportation until a federal judge intervened. Rubio has also suspended the visas of international students involved in pro-Palestine protests on campus. More recently, the State Department restricted visas of 'foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States,' i.e., regulators who enforce the European Union's Digital Services Act.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Trump administration to revoke student visas from Chinese students
Marco Rubio has ordered US embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas as the state department prepares to undertake social media vetting.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
What Trump's changes to student visas mean for Irish J1 applicants this summer
US 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 student s, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday. US 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. What does it mean for Irish students who've applied for J1s? In the cable, first reported by Politico, Rubio said appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under the current guidelines, but available appointments not already taken should be pulled down. That should mean if you are one of the estimated 5,000 Irish students travelling to the US on J1s and who have already been interviewed for this summer, you are likely to be unaffected. Advertisement It should also mean that those with pre-booked appointments are likely to be processed. However, it is worthwhile contacting the likes of Usit, which specialises in J1 visas for students. The problem is with those who have yet to make a booking for interview, as these have been paused. "The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants," the cable said. A senior State Department official confirmed the accuracy of the cable. Advertisement What might the new vetting regime entail? The cable did not spell out what the vetting would look for and State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on reports of the cable. However, she said the US will use "every tool" to vet anyone who wants to enter the United States. "We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are student s or otherwise," Bruce said. Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to US foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas. The Trump administration had already enhanced its vetting of student social media, according to a report by the Guardian in March, which linked the move to a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses. Advertisement In April, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that it would consider "antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests". The expanded social media vetting will require consular sections to modify their operations, processes and allocation of resources, according to the cable. It advises the sections going forward to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case before scheduling them. The cable also advises consular sections to remain focused on services for US citizens, immigrant visas and fraud prevention. - (Additional reporting: Reuters)
CBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Trump administration halts new appointments for foreign students visas
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of applicants after a review is completed.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Trump administration halts international student visa applications
The Trump administration has stopped the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the US while it prepares to expand social media vetting of applicants. A US official said on Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already have visa interviews scheduled. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document. A downturn in enrolment of international students could hurt university budgets in the US. To make up for cuts in federal research funding, some colleges previously shifted to enrolling more international students, who often pay full tuition. Now, an internal cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen by the Associated Press news agency shows how new student visa interviews are being halted as the US State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting. The cable says that "in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity" until the guidance is issued. It also says the halting of new visa interviews is "effective immediately". 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 Asked about the suspension at a briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the US uses every available resource to vet people applying for visas. "We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise," Ms Bruce said. The move, first reported by Politico, is the latest in the White House's crackdown on international students. Last week, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enrol international students, removing the college from the programme that allows schools to sponsor foreign students for visas. That effort was quickly challenged in court and for now is blocked by a federal judge. 2:53 This spring the Trump administration also revoked the legal status of thousands of international students already in the country, leading some to leave the US out of fear of deportation. After many students filed successful legal challenges, the administration said it was restoring the students' legal status. But the government also expanded the grounds for terminating international students' legal status going forward. US President Donald Trump's previous administration stepped up scrutiny of all visa applicants, introducing reviews of their social media accounts. The policy remained during President Joe Biden's administration. An extended pause in scheduling student visas could lead to delays that may disrupt college, boarding school or exchange students' plans to enrol in summer and autumn terms.
