On Thursday, the Trump administration promoted a new directive that will impose social media monitoring for all visa applicants who have been in Gaza since Jan. 1, 2007, including for official, diplomatic and humanitarian reasons.
The order, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is just the latest attempt by the federal administration to ratchet up surveillance of foreigners coming to the U.S.
“If the review of social media results uncovers potential derogatory information relating to security issues, then a SAO must be submitted,” reads the document, which refers to an interagency investigation to determine whether a visa applicant poses a risk to U.S. national security. The measure was sent to all U.S. diplomatic and consular posts.
The move comes as the Trump administration has revoked hundreds of visas across the country, as well as the status of some legal permanent residents, under a 1952 law that allows for the deportation of any immigrant whose presence in the country is deemed harmful to U.S. foreign policy by the Secretary of State.
“The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” said a Department spokesperson after the promotion of the new directive, “Security vetting runs from the time of each application, through adjudication of the visa, and afterwards during the validity period of every issued visa, to ensure the individual remains eligible to travel to the United States.”
Government officials have also stated that student visa holders may be subject to deportation for their support of the Palestinian cause and criticism of Israel in the Gaza war, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.
In recent weeks, there have already been instances in which the administration has revoked visas of college students who had spoken out against the war in the Middle East.
Last month, images of masked agents taking a Turkish Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk, into custody went around the world.
On the occasion, Rubio himself stated: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas”.
