A recent US State Department cable reveals that social media posts could lead to screening of visa applicants for national security threats. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the review of social media accounts of foreign applicants for US visas who have visited the Gaza Strip in the past 18 years. This includes all immigrant and non-immigrant visas, as well as employees and volunteers of non-governmental organizations.
If any potential security threats are identified through the social media review, the visa application will be subject to further investigation. Rubio’s office has already revoked over 300 visas this year, including those of student visa holders who have criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Trump administration has labeled such actions as threats to US foreign policy.
In a separate controversial move, President Trump has frozen over $2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University for refusing to comply with requested policy changes. These changes include repealing affirmative action in admissions, screening for anti-American sentiment, and addressing anti-Semitism on campus. The Department of Homeland Security has also raised concerns about Harvard’s alleged support of radical ideology and anti-Semitic rhetoric among its faculty and students.
This recent crackdown on visa applicants and universities with perceived anti-American sentiment highlights the Trump administration’s efforts to address national security threats and uphold American values. The screening of social media accounts and the targeting of institutions like Harvard have sparked debates about freedom of speech and academic freedom in the US.
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