Tag: USAdministration

New York: The US State Department confirmed Monday that it has revoked more than 6,000 student visas since Secretary of State Marco Rubio took office seven months ago. Rubio has relied on a rarely used legal provision allowing the rescission of visas for individuals deemed to be acting against US foreign policy interests. The move has drawn strong support from the administration’s right-wing base but also sparked controversy and legal challenges. A State Department official said: “The State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas for overstays and law violations, the vast majority being assault, DUI, burglary and support for terrorism. About 4,000 of the visas were for violations of the law.” Although the department did not provide details by nationality, Rubio has frequently signaled that students from China are a focus of the campaign. He has also singled out student activists, particularly those protesting against Israel. In March, Rubio said: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas.” He accused some student protesters of anti-Semitism, claims they have strongly denied. High-profile legal setbacks Despite the sweeping crackdown, the administration has faced defeats in several prominent cases. Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident who organized Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, was freed in June after a judge intervened. Khalil, whose son was born during his detention, has since filed a lawsuit accusing the administration of trying to “terrorize” him. Also Read | Iranian Hacker group threaten to publish email from Trump Associates Similarly, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University, was released in May after being detained by masked plainclothes agents. She had been targeted following her critical article on Israel in the campus newspaper. Rubio has defended his approach, insisting the administration has broad discretion over visa policy. “Non-US citizens do not have constitutional protections for free speech,” he argued, stressing that the State Department has the authority to revoke visas without judicial oversight.

Tag: USAdministration

Over 6,000 student Visas revoked in US under Trump administration

The Everything New!

Over 6,000 student Visas revoked in US under Trump administration

Receive latest news from all areas of science

The Everything New!