State Department begins scrutinizing social media accounts of student visa applicants

The Department of State announced on Wednesday it’s resuming the student visa application process with an increased focus on screening applicants’ social media.

The agency suspended the student visa application process in May while it weighed new vetting procedures in an effort to restrict foreign radicals who protest in support of terrorist organizations on college campuses. The State Department is now strengthening its screening process for applicants, demanding access to students’ social media accounts to root out those who have shared radical anti-American content.

“The State Department is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” the agency said in a statement announcing the new process. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”

Applicants with private social media accounts will be required to make their accounts public for screening, the department said.

“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the department said. “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”

The Trump administration has been attempting to crack down on the flood of anti-Israel protests that overtook college campuses across the country ever since the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Universities that failed to rein in violence and discrimination from the demonstrations have been targeted with funding cuts and even threats over their accreditation.

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