US tightens social media vetting for foreign students

President Donald J. Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered the resumption of student visa appointments but will significantly tighten its social media vetting in a bid to identify any applicants who may be hostile towards the United States, according to an internal State department cable reviewed by Reuters.

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US consular officers are now required to conduct a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of all student and exchange visitor applicants to identify those who “bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” said the cable, which was dated June 18 and sent to US missions on Wednesday.

On May 27, the Trump administration ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants, saying the State department was set to expand social media vetting of foreign students.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said updated guidance would be released once a review was completed.

The June 18 dated cable, which was sent by Mr. Rubio and sent to all US diplomatic missions, directed officers to look for “applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence or with the views and activities described above, you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States.”

The cable, which was first reported by Free Press, also authorized the consular officers to ask the applicants to make all of their social media accounts public.