The United States Department of State has said that it’s reviewing the records of more than 55 million foreigners who hold valid US visas for potential revocation or deportable violations of immigration rules.
In a written answer to a question posed by The Associated Press, the department said on Thursday that all US visa holders are subject to “continuous vetting” with an eye towards any indication that they could be ineligible for the document.
Should such information be found, the visa will be revoked and, if the visa holder is in the US, he or she would be subject to deportation.
The department said it was looking for indicators of ineligibility including visa overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of “terrorist activity”, or providing support to a “terrorist organization”.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential ineligibility,” the department said.
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has directed a large-scale crackdown on migration, going after those with legal status as well as undocumented migrants.
While the government initially said it would focus only on dangerous criminals, thousands of people are being arrested daily, with the New York Times estimating this week that the government is on track to deport 400,000 people in 2025.
Authorities have gone after working immigrants through unprecedented raids of restaurants, construction sites, and farms – as well as in courthouses where immigration agents arrest those attending civil appointments needed to help legalise their status.
The government has also sought to roll back humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status, which has given hundreds of thousands of people from a range of countries facing adverse conditions the right to live and work in the US.
Student visa holders have similarly been targeted, with the State Department saying earlier this week that 6,000 students have seen their visas revoked this year. While the department maintains that those students have either “broken the law or expressed support for terrorism”, many documented cases have involved students who took part in pro-Palestinian protests or even simply wrote an opinion piece – all of which are protected free speech. Others who have seen their visas revoked, however, had not engaged in any sort of activism.
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