The Trump Administration announced it would be reviewing 55 million people who possess US visas and scour their background for any reason to deport them.
The move seems to align with President Donald Trump’s broader objective of cutting diversity from the country.
The State Department says visas that allow people to stay in the United States are revoked at any time if there are “indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organisation.”
In a written response to the Associated Press, the department said no US visa holder was exempt from “continuous vetting” and that it would look for anything that would make them ineligible for the document.
If officials find a violation, that visa will be revoked and the holder will be deported. The State Department didn’t mention how or if it would alert the owners before deporting them.
“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 President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has thus far focused on deporting migrants illegally in the United States as well as holders of student and visitor exchange visas.
The State Department’s new language suggests that the re-vetting process, which officials acknowledge is time-consuming, is far more widespread.
“As part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to protect U.S. national security and public safety, since Inauguration Day the State Department has revoked more than twice as many visas, including nearly four times as many student visas, as during the same time period last year,” the department said.
Earlier this week, the department said that since Trump returned to the White House, it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas for overstays and violations of local, state and federal law, the vast majority of which were assault, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and support for terrorism.
It said that about 4,000 of those 6,000 were due to actual infractions of laws and that approximately 200–300 visas were revoked for terrorism-related issues, including providing support for designated terrorist organizations or state sponsors of terrorism.