PULSE POINTS
WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of State has revoked an estimated 6,000 student visas under new measures implemented by President Donald J. Trump, increasing the scrutiny of applicants.
WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and foreign students.
WHEN & WHERE: The stricter visa reviews were implemented earlier this year, with visa revocations ongoing.
KEY QUOTE: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.” — Marco Rubio
IMPACT: Federal immigration officials and the State Department have increased the scrutiny under which student visa applicants are investigated, including reviewing their past social media posts for anti-American views or support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
IN FULL
An estimated 6,000 student visas have been revoked by the U.S. Department of State, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Since taking office in January, President Donald J. Trump has enacted a series of measures increasing scrutiny of foreign applicants for student visas, as well as moving to revoke existing visas for foreign students at several elite universities engaging in anti-American activities.
“The State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas for overstays and law violations, the vast majority being assault, DUI, burglary, and support for terrorism,” a State Department official said. The official noted that an estimated 4,000 visas were revoked directly as a result of the foreign student having violated U.S. laws.
Under Secretary Rubio, the State Department has prioritized reviewing student visas currently held and requested by applicants from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been accused of utilizing Chinese nationals studying in the United States and Europe to engage in corporate espionage and the surveillance of anti-CCP dissidents.
Federal immigration officials and the State Department have increased the scrutiny under which student visa applicants are investigated, including now reviewing their past social media posts for anti-American views or support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Rubio said in March.
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