Using every tool to vet anyone coming in: US amid reports of halting new student visa interviews
_vb_76.jpeg)
New York (PTI): The US said it is using "every tool in our tool chest” to vet those coming into the country, including students, amid reports the Trump administration is ordering its embassies and consular sections abroad to halt scheduling new student visa interviews as it considers social media vetting for such individuals.
“The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting,” a news report in Politico said.
“In preparation for such required vetting, the administration is ordering US embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such student visa applicants,” the report said.
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, in her briefing on Tuesday, was asked about a possible decision by the Trump administration that will require all foreign students to undergo social media vetting.
“Well, if you’re discussing that, that’s something that has not been discussed publicly. It would have to be leaked material if it exists. What I can remind everyone of, which we’ve discussed for months here, is that we use every tool in our tool chest to vet anyone coming in who wants to come into this country, and in order to do so has to apply for a visa to gain access to our nation,” Bruce said.
“So we – every sovereign country has a right to know who is trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they’ve been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework, determine what they will be doing while they’re here. So that’s nothing new, and we will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that’s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise,” she said.
The Politico report report cited a “cable” dated May 27 signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said “effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel, which we anticipate in the coming days.”
The cable referred to the State Department's shorthand for “separate telegram”.
Responding to a question on the issue, Bruce further stated that the administration would not discuss individual visa cases or the nature of the choices made regarding individuals.
“We do know, though, that we take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to continue to vet, and we continue to have an interest. And again, whether you're a student or a tourist who needs a visa, or whoever you are, we’re going to be looking at you,” she said, adding that this should not be “such a controversial thing”.
“Every nation should take seriously – and does – who’s coming in. So if you’re going to be applying for a visa, follow the normal process, the normal steps. Expect to be looked at, and we go on from there,” Bruce said.
In response to a question on such a development leading to processing delays, Bruce said: “I can’t speak to their individual experiences. We’ve always vetted people trying to come in.
“We’ve always looked at visas seriously. It’s why we have a visa, so that you can stop and look at someone. So I can’t speak about what the individual experience will be, but the fact is that everyone knows that we’re – it’s a reminder, certainly, that we’re taking it seriously.”
She said: “It is a goal, as stated by the President and Secretary Rubio, to make sure that people who are here are here and understand what the law is, that they don’t have any criminal intent, they are going to be contributors to the experience here, whether – however short or long their stay is."
"So the details of which I won’t reveal, but it will hopefully achieve our understanding of who deserves to visit this country and who does not.”
Former member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, Ajay Bhutoria, in a statement to PTI, said the US State Department's decision to pause new student visa appointments to expand social media vetting was alarming, especially for Indian students aiming for Fall 2025 admissions.
“While I support rigorous vetting for security, this pause risks creating significant backlogs, threatening the academic dreams of thousands of Indian students,” he said.
With over 270,000 Indian students contributing USD 43.8 billion to the US economy in 2024, India is a cornerstone of the India-US academic exchange.
“The 38 per cent drop in F-1 visas issued to Indians from January to September 2024, coupled with visa slot shortages since mid-March 2025, already strains this partnership. Further delays could force students to defer admissions, face financial losses, and endure emotional hardship,” Bhutoria said.
He urged the State Department to “prioritise” student visa processing by boosting consular resources, expediting Fall 2025 appointments, and clarifying the vetting process.
“Congress must demand transparency on the pause’s scope and impact. Let’s preserve the US as a global education hub by addressing these challenges swiftly,” he said.
The latest move comes days after the Trump administration ordered the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification, a move that means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.
The Department of Homeland Security accused Harvard’s leadership of creating an “unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment”.
The Politico report said the administration had earlier imposed social media screening requirements, “but those were largely aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza”.
The administration has intensified its crackdown on students who may have participated in pro-Palestine campus protests and revoked visas and ordered deportations of those involved in such demonstrations.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC flags 'trust deficit', orders deployment of judicial officers in Bengal's SIR exercise
New Delhi (PTI): Dismayed over ongoing tussle between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission, the Supreme Court on Friday issued an "extraordinary" direction to deploy serving and former district judges to assist the poll panel in the controversy-ridden special intensive revision of electoral rolls in the state.
Ruing the "unfortunate blame game" and the "trust deficit" between the EC and the "democratically elected" TMC government, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a slew of fresh directions to ensure completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) process.
The bench ordered deputation of judicial officers for adjudication of claims and objections of the persons, who are put under the logical discrepancy lists and facing removal of their names from the electoral rolls.
Logical discrepancies in progeny linking with the 2002 voter list include instances of a mismatch in the parent's name and the age difference between a voter and their parent being less than 15 years or more than 50 years.
The top court asked Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul to spare some judicial officers and find former judges to assist in the SIR work as it took serious note of the state government not sparing enough grade 'A'0 officers for the revision exercise.
Chief Justice Paul has been asked to convene a meeting on Saturday and the same will be attended by Chief Secretary, DGP, official from the EC, Advocate General of the state. Additional Solicitor General of the Union and the Registrar General of the high court on the issue of finalising modalities of deputing judicial officers in SIR process.
"In order to ensure fairness in the adjudication of the genuineness of the documents and consequential inclusion/exclusion in voters list, and as agreed to by both sides, we are left with hardly any other option but to request the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to spare serving judicial officers along with some former judicial officers in the rank of Additional District Judge and District Judges who can then be requested to revisit/dispose of the pending claims under the category of 'logical discrepancy'," the bench ordered.
Disregarding the vehement objections of the state government, the top court permitted the EC to publish a final list of voters in the state by February 28, the deadline fixed earlier. However, it also permitted the election commission to come out with supplementary lists later.
It noted that no prejudice will be caused to anyone if supplementary voter lists are issued after February 28 as names of electors can be included till the last date of filing of nomination papers for the elections.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleged that the orders passed by the electoral roll officers are now being scrutinised by a "new species of officers" called the 'special roll officers'.
"The 'special roll officers' cannot trump EROs. How can they on a wholesale basis reject what ERO has done?" Divan asked.
The election commission refuted that claim and said that the SROs are there since inception. The bench agreed with the submissions of the poll panel.
The bench further said that if there is non-cooperation then the court will deploy judicial officers or ask the EC to deploy the officials from other states.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, said that there might be a law and order problem, if the poll panel is permitted to publish the final voter list by February 28.
In a bid to balance equity, the top court said such judicial officers/former judicial officers, while adjudicating the claims and objections, shall be assisted by poll panel's micro-observers and also by the officers of the state government.
"The circumstances being extraordinary, the entrustment of work to judicial officers and former judicial officers is also extraordinary," the bench said.
Senior advocate DS Naidu, appearing for the EC raised the issue of non-cooperation and the law and order enforcement alleging that the documents have been torn apart from miscreants and yet hardly any action has been taken.
He produced the statements made by different political functionaries against the poll officials and said no FIRs were registered against anyone.
CJI Kant, who perused the statements said, "Unfortunately, during the election such irresponsible statements are being made. If no action is taken, the DGP will face the consequences."
The bench then directed district collectors and SPs of the state to provide logistical support and security to the judicial officers deputed for the ongoing SIR work while making it clear that orders passed by judicial officers will be deemed as orders of court.
It said the collector and SPs will be considered under deemed deputation for the purpose of ensuring compliance of directions that may be issued from time to time by the court.
It directed the DGP to file an affidavit on the steps taken on complaints regarding threats to officers involved in the SIR process.
The bench directed the Calcutta High Court chief justice to evolve some alternate interim arrangement for shifting of matters requiring urgent relief to other courts for ten days.
On February 9, the top court made it clear to the states that it will not allow anyone to create any impediment in completion of the SIR and directed the WB DGP to file an affidavit on the EC allegation of burning of its notices by miscreants.
