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Original Date Announced
May 30, 2025Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a cable directing all U.S. diplomatic and consular posts to begin enhanced vetting of any non-immigrant visa applicant traveling to Harvard University, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to maintain a campus “free from violence and anti-Semitism” as justification for the policy. The directive applies to students, faculty, staff, contractors, guest speakers, and even tourists. It instructs consular officers to scrutinize private social media accounts, encouraging applicants to make them public, and to assess any information, even if it falls short of legal inadmissibility, to determine whether the applicant’s intended activities align with their visa classification. The memorandum instructs consular officers to "remind [applicants] that limited access to or visibility of social media activity could be construed as an effort to evade or hide certain activity." This order will serve as a pilot for broader visa screening protocols.
[Trump 2.0 ID #1781]
2025.05.30 State Department 25 STATE 52014 - ACTION REQUEST Enhanced vetting for All Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants Traveling to Harvard UniversityEffective Date
May 30, 2025Current Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in PracticeSubject Matter: Immigrant Visas Non-Immigrant VisasAgencies Affected: DOS Bureau of Consular AffairsAssociated or Derivative Policies
- March 6, 2025 State Department launches "Catch and Revoke" initiative to revoke visas of students engaged in "pro-Hamas" activity
- April 9, 2025 DHS begins screening noncitizens' social media activity for "antisemitism" when considering immigration benefit requests
- May 22, 2025 DHS blocks Harvard from enrolling international students
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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