Secretary of State Marco Rubio oversees the U.S. Department of State. The State Department announced plans to investigate all 55 million people in the United States on temporary visas. File Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
The U.S. State Department plans to vet all 55 million foreigners in the United States on visas, looking for overstays, threats and “terrorist activity.”
“The State Department revokes visas any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill in an emailed statement.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential ineligibility under the [Immigration and Nationality Act],” the spokesperson added.
In fiscal year 2024, the State Department issued close to 11 million temporary visas. The majority, 77%, were for business or tourism, while 7% were for students or visiting academics and their families.
Since President Donald Trump took office, the State Department has revoked more than 6,000 student visas. Around 4,000 of those people broke the law, while 200 to 300 had their visas rescinded for “supporting terrorism,” according to the State Department.
Vettiing people who already have visas will likely be time-consuming and complicated, officials have said. The State Department has introduced new measures, including reviewing social media accounts for hostility toward the United States and anti-Semitism.
“We are gathering
It wasn’t clear who would be doing the vetting. The State Department told Congress in May it planned to fire more than 1,870 people within its domestic workforce of 18,730, and over 1,570 have said they would voluntarily exit.
More than 300 offices and bureaus would be impacted and will include members of the foreign and civil service whose offices are being either retooled or outright eliminated.
In June, the department said more than 3,400 U.S.-based staff will quit or be laid off from bureaus that cover Asia and the Middle East and across seven divisions, effecting a 69% cut in staff.
