Trump Admin to Review 55M US Legal Immigrants

St. Croix Times Staff

Washington, D.C. - The Trump Administration will begin reviewing all 55 million foreigners who hold US visas for potential revocation in order to evaluate whether any of them have committed deportable offenses that would be in violation of immigration rules. 

“Any immigrants holding US visas found with indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization will have their permits to live in the US revoked and be deported,” the State Department announced. 

Also, all US visa holders are subject to continuous vetting intended to identify deportable offenses.   

“We review all available information as part of our vetting operations, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance that indicates a potential ineligibility,” the State Department added.

Officials say the reviews will include all the visa holders’ social media accounts, law enforcement and immigration records in their home countries, along with any actionable violations of U.S. law while they were in the United States. 

“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 period last year,” the State Department said. 

Earlier tis week, the State Department said that since President 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, of which 200-300  visas were revoked for terrorism-related  issues, including providing support for designated terrorist organizations or state sponsors of terrorism. 

The Administration has steadily imposed more and more restrictions and requirements on visa applicants, including requiring all visa seekers to submit to in-person interviews. 

This current review of all visa holders appears to be a significant expansion of what had initially been a re-vetting process focused mainly on students who have been involved in pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activity.