Sino-News reported on August 21st (edited by Huang Junzhi)
According to news reports, on Thursday (August 21st), the US State Department stated that it was reviewing potential deportable offenses among more than 55 million holders of US visas, including overstaying their visas, engaging in criminal activities, and participating in any form of terrorist activities.
All holders of US visas, including international students and tourists, will be subject to “continuous review” according to the US State Department.
The State Department spokesperson told Congress in an email statement on Thursday:
“If there is any indication that they may not be eligible, the State Department will revoke their visas, including any signs of overstaying their visas, engaging in criminal activities, threatening public safety, participating in any form of terrorist activities or providing support to terrorist organizations.”
“As part of the review, we will review all available information, including law enforcement or immigration records, as well as any other information indicating potential violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act that are discovered after the visa is issued,” the spokesperson added.
Some analysts pointed out that the latest wording from the US State Department indicates that the scope of the continuous review process is even broader, which may mean that even those who are allowed to stay in the United States may suddenly have their visas revoked.
In addition, US Secretary of State Rubio posted on social media platform X on Thursday that the United States will also stop issuing work visas to commercial truck drivers.
He stated that this change will take effect immediately. “An increasing number of foreign drivers are driving large trucks on American roads, posing a danger to American lives and reducing the livelihoods of American truck drivers,” he wrote.
Indeed, since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, the State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas. According to the US State Department, about 4,000 people violated the law, and another 200 to 300 people were revoked due to supporting terrorists.
It is reported that the White House has been tracking down foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests across the country, claiming that they pose a threat to national security. Some of these students are currently challenging the deportation process.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also focused on arresting and deporting illegal immigrants as a “priority” on Trump’s economic agenda. In fact, during his campaign, Trump proposed implementing the largest deportation plan in US history, and he has quickly acted on this agenda after taking office.
In June this year, Los Angeles in California, USA also witnessed days of riots due to massive deportations, and protests and riots against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) emerged. In order to stabilize the situation, Trump even sent National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. The spokesman of the US State Department said on Thursday, “As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to protect national security and public safety, the number of visas revoked by the State Department since the day of taking office has doubled that of the same period last year, including nearly four times of student visas.” Previously, officials revealed that the review would include all visa holders’ social media accounts, their home country’s law enforcement and immigration records, as well as any violations of US laws committed during their stay in the US. It is reported that the review will use new tools to collect data on past, present and future visa applicants, including a comprehensive review of social media websites under new requirements issued earlier this year. These new regulations require applicants to turn off privacy switches on mobile phones, other electronic devices or applications during visa interviews.