The Trump administration is intensifying its efforts to scrutinize visa applicants aiming to travel to Harvard University, according to a State Department cable distributed to diplomatic posts.
Signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the cable instructs U.S. missions and consulates worldwide to immediately increase the level of vetting for these applicants, signaling plans for a broader scrutiny regime in the future.
This enhanced vetting process is not limited to students; it extends to faculty members, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and tourists.
The initiative aims to address what the administration claims are urgent concerns related to violence and anti-Semitism occurring at Harvard.
The cable explicitly states that any non-immigrant visa applicant looking to visit Harvard for any purpose will now undergo this increased scrutiny.
Non-immigrant visas are intended for temporary visits to the United States, emphasizing the administration’s focus on immediate entries.
When NBC News sought comment regarding the cable, a State Department spokesperson noted that the Department does not engage in discussions regarding internal communications.
Harvard University was also contacted for its response.
Under the new expanded social media screening guidelines, consular offices have been directed to identify applicants with previous histories of anti-Semitic harassment or violence, which will play a critical role in determining their visa eligibility under U.S. immigration law.
The cable further criticizes Harvard for failing to uphold a campus atmosphere that is free from violence and anti-Semitism.
In addition, consular officers are instructed to require visa applicants to make all their social media accounts public, thereby enabling thorough examination as part of the vetting process.
The State Department emphasized that the absence of an online presence or the presence of restricted social media accounts may be perceived as a sign of evasiveness, raising questions about the applicant’s credibility.
On a related note, the administration has recently paused the scheduling of new interviews for international students requesting visas to study in the U.S.
This suspension of interviews is seen as a preparatory step ahead of the enhanced social media screening, allowing diplomatic and consular posts to gear up for the increased workload.
The move is part of a broader conflict between the administration and Harvard University, as the latter has actively resisted the former’s attempts to influence the university’s hiring practices, admissions policies, diversity initiatives, and foreign student enrollment.
To exert pressure, the administration has already curtailed billions in research funding directed at Harvard.
Recently, a court upheld a bar on the administration’s efforts to revoke Harvard’s capability to enroll international students.
According to the cable, the enhanced social media vetting of visa applicants to Harvard is described as a pilot program that holds the potential for future expansion to other groups of visa applicants.
The administration’s actions specifically target foreign students who have faced visa cancellations, arrests, detention, and deportation, particularly those protesting against Israel’s military actions following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Marco Rubio affirmed that the State Department will collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security to ‘aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students.’
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