Federal officials are set to start examining social media accounts of visa applicants aiming to attend, work, or visit Harvard University. This move is in response to the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration and Ivy League institutions, particularly focusing on signs of anti-Semitism.
A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, obtained by the Associated Press, accuses the university of not adequately protecting against violence and anti-Semitism on campus. The review process aims to assist consular officials in identifying applicants with a history of such issues.
This directive is set to be distributed to all US embassies and consulates and will be implemented immediately. According to the cable, it serves as a pilot initiative that may be expanded in the future.
Harvard has yet to respond to requests for comments via email.
The university was among the first to openly resist the White House’s calls for changes at elite institutions, which the administration has criticized as bastions of liberalism and anti-Semitism.
Consequently, the federal government has revoked funding from the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, stripping it of a $2.6 billion federal grant while encouraging the university to self-fund many research initiatives. President Donald Trump has expressed intentions to revoke the university’s tax-exempt status.
Last week, Harvard filed a lawsuit against the federal government following a decision by the Department of Homeland Security that revoked its permission to host foreign students on its Cambridge campus. Subsequently, a federal judge blocked this decision.
More than a quarter of student organizations at Harvard’s Cambridge campus comprise foreign students, primarily graduate students hailing from over 100 countries.
Earlier this week, the Department of State announced a suspension of scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students seeking to study in the US, citing preparations to enhance screening of social media activity. The status of this suspension remains unclear.
The new policies build upon previous measures initiated during the Trump administration, which mandated reviews of social media accounts for visa applicants. These measures persisted throughout the administration of former President Joe Biden.
The guidelines will monitor whether visa applicants lack an online presence, keep their social media accounts private, and investigate if such actions “reflect evasiveness and may raise questions about the applicant’s credibility.”
If authorities find the applicant’s reliability unsatisfactory and if they do not meet the criteria needed for the visa classification, they will be denied, as per the cable.
Additionally, the cable instructs officials to assess social media accounts and conduct comprehensive inquiries into the applicant’s online presence.
Source: apnews.com