Donald Trump, through a decision, has ordered Harvard missions abroad to categorically cancel new dates for student and exchange visitor visa applicants, while the State Department prepares to expand vetting of foreign students.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an internal administrative email that the department plans to issue updated guidance for vetting student and exchange visitor applicants after completing a review and advised consular sections to stop scheduling such visa appointments for foreign students, A2 writes.
The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to increase deportations and revoke student visas as part of its broader efforts to fulfill his hard-line immigration agenda.
Several hundred protesters, including Harvard University students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students on Harvard's campus, while also protesting the Trump administration's efforts to cut off funding for the university.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to comment on the Rubio cable reports, but said the US would use "every means" to vet anyone seeking to enter the United States.
"We're going to continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they're students or otherwise," Bruce told reporters at a regular news conference.
The Trump administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for universities and taken steps to deport students, while revoking thousands of visas for others. Many of these actions have been blocked by the courts.
The White House has accused several American universities of allowing pro-Palestinian activism on campus to be hijacked by anti-Semitism. The colleges have accused the Trump administration of trying to trample on free speech rights.
If the measure is approved, it could deal a devastating blow to the university, where more than a quarter of students are foreign. (A2 Televizion)
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