The Trump administration is intensifying social media vetting for visa applicants traveling to Harvard University, as stated in a State Department cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This directive affects not just students, but also faculty, employees, contractors, guest speakers, and tourists. The enhanced scrutiny aims to mitigate concerns over violence and anti-Semitism linked to the university environment.
Consular offices are instructed to identify applicants with a history of anti-Semitic behavior and evaluate their visa eligibility diligently. The cable criticizes Harvard for not ensuring a violence-free campus and mandates that visa applicants must set their social media accounts to public for review during the vetting process. Additionally, a lack of online presence or having private accounts may be viewed as evasiveness, which could affect applicants’ credibility.
As part of the preparatory measures for the expanded vetting, the administration has paused new visa interviews for international students. This is seen as part of a broader strategy to exert control over Harvard and other educational institutions, with the administration previously cutting research funding to pressure the university on admissions and diversity initiatives. A recent court ruling has further extended a ban on efforts to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.
The cable indicates that this intensified vetting is a pilot program, with the potential to expand to other groups of visa applicants in the future. The administration has specifically targeted foreign students, stripping many of their visas, particularly those who participated in protests concerning Israel’s military actions following the recent Hamas attack. Rubio noted that coordination with the Department of Homeland Security would aim to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students as part of this effort.
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