Photo by Matt Barnard
The US government is undertaking a major review of the records of more than 55 million visa holders as part of a broader effort to determine whether individuals have violated the terms of their entry or stay in the country.
According to a spokesperson for the State Department, all individuals holding U.S. visas will now be subjected to “continuous vetting.” Visas will be revoked if authorities find evidence of visa overstays, criminal conduct, threats to public safety, involvement in terrorist activities, or support for terrorist organizations, an official told the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump has made immigration restrictions a central focus of his second term in office. His administration has implemented a series of hardline measures ranging from mass deportations and sweeping travel bans to the cancellation of 6,000 student visas.
As part of the expanded scrutiny, foreign visitors and prospective students will now undergo comprehensive social media reviews. Officials will be looking for signs of “hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States,” according to the State Department.
Officers have also been directed to identify individuals who support, promote, or aid foreign terrorist groups and other national security threats. This includes those who engage in or facilitate unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.
Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said in a statement that American privileges should not be extended to individuals who “despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies.” He emphasized that USCIS is firmly dedicated to enacting policies aimed at “rooting out anti-Americanism.”
The announcement follows a series of recent developments, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to suspend the issuance of work visas for foreign truck drivers. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rubio stated, “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
Since Trump’s return to office in January, several international students have been detained on U.S. college campuses for participating in protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza—a conflict in which the United States remains a strong ally of Israel.
In another controversial move, the U.S. recently announced that citizens of Malawi and Zambia must now pay a $15,000 (approximately £11,300) bond when applying for tourist or business visas.
Additionally, the Trump administration has barred foreign nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States entirely and imposed partial travel restrictions on seven others.
In May, the administration was granted temporary authority to revoke the legal immigration status of more than 500,000 migrants living in the country. President Trump has also renewed calls to eliminate birthright citizenship in the U.S.
