The US Department of State, under the direction of Secretary Marco Rubio, has initiated a comprehensive review of social media accounts for foreign applicants who have visited the Gaza Strip since January 1, 2007.
This review applies to all types of US visas, immigrant and non-immigrant, including those for students and tourists, and covers individuals who have spent time in Gaza in an official or diplomatic capacity.
Additionally, employees and volunteers of non-governmental organisations will be subject to this screening process. The primary objective of this review is to identify potential security risks, and if any derogatory information related to security issues is uncovered, the applicant’s visa submission will be referred for an interagency investigation to assess whether the applicant poses a national security risk.
Rubio previously reported that his office had revoked over 300 visas since the beginning of the year, including those of student visa holders who have expressed criticism towards Israel’s actions in Gaza. This move has raised concerns, as the US Constitution protects freedom of speech for individuals within the US, regardless of their visa status.
The Trump administration has expressed concerns that the actions of these students pose a threat to US foreign policy, and has taken issue with universities that have been sites of major protests since the conflict in Gaza began.
Harvard University has been a particular point of contention, with the Trump administration freezing over $2 billion in federal funding due to the university’s refusal to implement policy changes.
These requested changes include repealing affirmative action in admissions, screening students who may be “hostile to American values and institutions”, and tackle anti-Semitism on campus. The Department of Homeland Security has also suggested that Harvard might be ineligible to host international students due to its perceived “radical ideology” and support for “foreign visa-holding rioters and faculty [who] have spewed anti-semitic hate”.