Trump administration suspends student visas amid crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism

By lauraharris // 2025-06-01

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The Trump administration has ordered a temporary halt on new student and exchange visa applications to implement stricter social media vetting, particularly targeting pro-Palestinian activism.
Secretary Marco Rubio confirmed the revocation of "thousands" of student visas, citing an obscure law allowing exclusions based on U.S. foreign policy interests, with a focus on pro-Palestinian protesters.
The administration has framed pro-Palestinian demonstrations as "antisemitic" and "disruptive," justifying visa cancellations for students involved in peaceful activism, including divestment campaigns.
Despite claims of supporting free speech, the policy contradicts these principles by penalizing students for political expression, raising concerns about authoritarian censorship.
Previous attempts to revoke visas for thousands of international students faced legal challenges and public opposition, highlighting the controversial nature of these measures.

The Trump administration has ordered a temporary suspension of student visa processing to scrutinize international students' social media activity, particularly those advocating for Palestinian liberation. According to the internal cable, issued on May 27 and signed by State Department Secretary Marco Rubio, U.S. embassies and consulates must halt all new student and exchange visa appointments pending further guidance on enhanced social media vetting. The cable also states that the department intends to implement stricter social media vetting for all such applications. While the suspension may be temporary, with new guidance expected in the "coming days," U.S. missions already face significant backlogs in processing visas. "The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants and plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants," the cable stated. Additionally, the policy follows a series of aggressive measures against foreign students, including the revocation of hundreds of visas – many from individuals engaged in pro-Palestinian activism. "We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country: It's a goal, as stated by the president and Secretary Rubio, to make sure that people who are here understand what the law is, that they don't have any criminal intent, that they are going to be contributors to the experience here, however short or long their status," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.

Rubio revokes thousands of student visas amid pro-Palestine protests

The Trump administration has increasingly framed campus protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza as "antisemitic," leveraging visa restrictions to penalize students involved in such demonstrations. Last week, Rubio confirmed that his office has revoked "thousands" of visas since Trump took office in January, citing an obscure law allowing the State Department to exclude foreigners deemed contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests. (Related: Rubio: State Department has REVOKED over 300 visas of foreign students.) "I don't know the latest count, but we probably have more to do," Rubio said. "We're going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities." The estimate represents a dramatic increase from late March, when Rubio said visa cancellations stood at 300. This latest move targets international students who have participated in or supported campus demonstrations advocating for Palestinian liberation, including demands for universities to divest from Israel. Widespread student protests are ongoing and escalating across U.S. campuses, where encampments and rallies have pressured schools to cut financial ties with Israel and condemn its military campaign in Gaza. The Trump administration has framed these demonstrations as disruptive and aligned with "radical left-wing" activism. Head over to EducationSystem.news for more similar stories. Watch this clip about colleges facing backlash and potentially losing funding over allegations of antisemitism on campus.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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Rubio revokes thousands of student visas amid pro-Palestine protests

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