Trump Administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments

President Donald Trump’s Administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting of foreign students, according to an internal cable seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio said in the cable that the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting of student and exchange visitor applicants after a review is completed and advised consular sections to halt the scheduling of such visa appointments.
The move comes as the Trump Administration has sought to ramp up deportations and revoke student visas as part of its wide-ranging efforts to fulfill his hardline immigration agenda.
Several hundred protesters, including Harvard University students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students at the Harvard campus on Tuesday, while also protesting the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut off funding to the university.
In the cable, first reported by Politico, Rubio said appointments that have already been scheduled can proceed under the current guidelines, but available appointments not already taken should be pulled down.
A senior State Department official confirmed the accuracy of the cable.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to comment on reports of the cable, but said the US would use “every tool” to vet anyone who wants to enter the United States. (Excerpt from Reuters)