Indian Americans, Educators Criticize U.S. Freeze on Student Visa Appointments

The move comes in the wake of growing anti-Israel and pro-Palestine movements at the university campuses, which US officials believe are mainly fueled by international students.

File photo of Marco Rubio at a recent Congressional hearing. / REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Eminent Indian Americans and educational institutions decried the Trump Administration's move on May 27 to pause the visa appointments of all categories of international students. The administration plans to develop a mechanism to monitor and study the applicants' social media postings.

The move comes in the wake of growing anti-Israel and pro-Palestine movements at the university campuses, which US officials believe are mainly fueled by international students. Students' protests and unrest at the university campuses are a relatively new phenomenon.

“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,” said a State Department cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Also read: Trump administration halts scheduling of new student visa appointments

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