The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting — a significant expansion of previous such efforts, according to a cable obtained by POLITICO.
If the administration carries out the plan, it could severely slow down student visa processing.
The cable doesn’t directly spell out what the future social media vetting would screen for, but it alludes to executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and battling antisemitism.
Many State Department officials have complained privately for months that past guidance — for, say, vetting students who may have participated in campus protests — has been vague.
Spokespeople for the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A cable that POLITICO was able to obtain indicates that the Trump administration is considering making social media vetting mandatory for all international applicants to study in the United States. This would be a major extension of earlier efforts of this kind.
The administration is directing U.S. to prepare for such mandatory screening. S. . Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the cable on Tuesday, which directed embassies and consular sections to postpone setting up new interviews for such student visa applicants.
Processing student visas may be significantly slowed down if the administration implements the plan. Additionally, it might harm numerous universities that mainly depend on international students to increase their revenue.
The cable says, “With immediate effect, 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, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting.”. The State Department’s abbreviation for “separate telegram” is “septel.”. ”).
Returned students who might have taken part in demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza were the main target of the administration’s previous social media screening regulations.
The cable makes reference to executive orders intended to prevent terrorists and combat antisemitism, but it doesn’t specifically outline what the future social media vetting would look for.
For months, numerous State Department officials have privately bemoaned the ambiguity of previous guidance, such as when it comes to screening students who might have taken part in protests on campus. For example, it’s unclear if a student might be subject to extra scrutiny if they post images of a Palestinian flag on an X account.
Targeting universities it views as too liberal and accuses of fostering antisemitism on their campuses, the administration has implemented a number of regulations, particularly targeting prestigious institutions like Harvard. It is also conducting immigration crackdowns, which have resulted in the apprehension of numerous students.
An inquiry was not immediately answered by State Department spokespeople. A representative for the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) declined to comment at this time.
