The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is warning that the decision by the United States government ordering its embassies worldwide to freeze issuing student visas could severely threaten Caribbean and other international students.
NYIC, an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, said that the Donald Trump administration has directed US embassies to temporarily halt the scheduling of interviews for new student visa applications as they prepare to include social media screenings for these individuals as part of the application requirement.
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NYIC said that student applicants who already have visa interviews scheduled may still proceed with the application process.
“The Trump administration’s latest move to pause new student visa appointments is another reckless and harmful decision, one that will disrupt the lives and futures of thousands of international students, many of whom are already navigating uncertainty due to existing Trump immigration policies,” NYIC President and chief executive officer, Murad Awawdeh, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“By targeting international students with invasive social media screenings and heightened vetting, the administration is setting a disturbing precedent: that one’s personal speech, political views, or social media activity could be weaponized to deny them access to higher education,” he added.
Awawdeh said it opens the door to widespread discrimination based on speech and identity.
He said the impact would be severely felt in New York, home to hundreds of thousands of Caribbean and other international students “who bring cultural, intellectual, and economic value to our universities, our communities, and our state.
“This policy is a deliberate effort to shut the doors to those students and to block any form of dissent,” Awawdeh said.
“Our state must remain a beacon of opportunity and education, and we must protect the rights, safety, and dignity of all students who call New York home, as well as protect our higher education institutions from unnecessary interference,” he added.
According to reports, a State Department cable to embassies overseas on Tuesday states: “The department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants,” and that administration officials plan to issue guidance on “expanded social media vetting for all such applicants”. (CMC)
