Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed US diplomats abroad to conduct social media searches on individuals applying for student and other visas, a move aimed at identifying applicants who may have criticised the US or Israel.
The directive, issued in a diplomatic cable on March 25, aligns with the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
According to The New York Times, the instructions require consular officers to refer certain student and exchange visitor visa applications to the “fraud prevention unit” for mandatory social media checks.
These measures follow executive orders signed by President Donald Trump targeting individuals with “hostile attitudes” toward American institutions and policies.
Rubio’s cable specifies that visa applicants suspected of terrorist sympathies or who have held student or exchange visas between October 7, 2023, and August 31, 2024, will be subject to enhanced scrutiny.
It further suggests that those whose visas were terminated since October 7, 2023, should have their social media history reviewed before reapplying.
The instructions could lead to widespread self-censorship among foreign applicants who fear that past or present online activity might jeopardize their chances of obtaining a US visa.
During a CBS News interview on March 16, Rubio justified the policy by stating, “We don’t want people in our country that are going to be committing crimes and undermining our national security or public safety. It’s that simple, especially people that are here as guests. That is what a visa is.”
Since assuming his role as Secretary of State in January, Rubio has revoked over 300 visas, many of them belonging to students.
He has emphasised that visas should be denied if an applicant’s social media history would have initially disqualified them.
“Every one of them I find, we’re going to kick them out,” Rubio asserted, describing some student protesters as instigators of campus disruptions.
