Trump admin vetting 55M U.S. visa holders for potential violations
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump at the White House in April. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Trump administration said Thursday it's scrutinizing the records of all U.S. visa holders for potential violations that could result in deportations — from overstays to "terrorist activity."
The big picture: President Trump has made immigration enforcement a key priority during his second administration, aggressively cracking down on undocumented immigrants and revoking visas for students for reasons such as pro-Palestinian activism.
- Confirmation of the "continuous vetting" of the more than 55 million U.S. visa holders came the same day Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the administration was immediately pausing issuing new visas for commercial truck drivers.
- And it comes during the same week as the State Department announced it had revoked some 6,000 student visas for overstays and other alleged legal violations.
Driving the news: "The State Department revokes visas any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization," a spokesperson said in a statement first shared with AP and emailed to Axios.
- "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 under the INA," the spokesperson added, in reference to the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- "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."
- Representatives for the State Department did not immediately respond to Axios' Thursday evening requests for comment on more details on vetting procedures and what the logistics entail.
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