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US secretary of state Marco Rubio has mentioned the Trump administration would “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese language college students, in its newest transfer to crack down on foreigners hoping to check within the US.
The transfer got here a day after Rubio ordered US embassies internationally to cease scheduling interviews for brand spanking new scholar visas, because the administration tightens the screening of candidates’ social media actions.
Rubio mentioned in an announcement that the state division would work with the Division of Homeland Safety to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese language college students, together with these with connections to the Chinese language Communist get together or learning in vital fields”.
He mentioned the US would additionally revise visa standards to reinforce scrutiny of all future visa functions from China and Hong Kong.
Within the 2023-24 college yr, practically 280,000 worldwide college students have been from China, making up greater than 1 / 4 of all overseas college students within the US, in keeping with the Institute of Worldwide Training. It was the second main nation of origin after India.
The brand new measures are a part of a wide-ranging crackdown on worldwide college students that has despatched a chill via American campuses and prompted anguish for 1000’s already learning within the US who concern they will be unable to resume their visas.
The strikes to limit scholar visas are a part of President Donald Trump’s broader assault on the US’s elite universities, which he accuses of failing to sort out antisemitism throughout large-scale pro-Palestinian protests after the beginning of Israel’s struggle in Gaza. The president’s critics have accused him of attacking free speech and tutorial freedom.
But the immigration curbs go far past college students. Rubio additionally mentioned on Wednesday that the Trump administration would additionally place new visa restrictions on overseas officers who he mentioned had acted towards US residents over their posts on social media.
“Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Individuals shouldn’t benefit from the privilege of travelling to our nation,” Rubio mentioned in an announcement posted to X. “Whether or not in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the times of passive remedy for individuals who work to undermine the rights of Individuals are over.”
It was not instantly clear which officers can be affected by the visa restrictions or how the coverage modifications can be applied.
However Rubio mentioned in a separate assertion that in “some situations, overseas officers have taken flagrant censorship actions towards US tech firms and US residents and residents once they don’t have any authority to take action”.
He added it was “unacceptable” for overseas officers to threaten to arrest US residents or residents for his or her social media posts and for overseas officers to “demand that American tech platforms undertake international content material moderation insurance policies or have interaction in censorship exercise that reaches past their authority and into the United States”.
“We won’t tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, particularly when such encroachments undermine the train of our basic proper to free speech,” the secretary of state mentioned.
Trump, vice-president JD Vance and Rubio have all criticised abroad leaders for what the administration sees as infringements of free speech, together with on-line.
Republican lawmakers, together with Jim Jordan, chair of the Home judiciary committee, have additionally attacked overseas lawmakers for his or her regulation of social media platforms and on-line content material, together with the EU’s Digital Companies Act and the UK’s On-line Security Act.
Vance surprised attendees at February’s Munich Safety Convention when he accused European and UK leaders of suppressing speech and mentioned the continent’s “risk from inside” was graver than that posed by Russia and China.
Extra lately, Rubio mentioned there was a “nice chance” of sanctions towards Brazilian supreme courtroom justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has led a crackdown towards on-line disinformation within the nation and made headlines final yr after clashing with Trump ally Elon Musk.
The billionaire known as Moraes a “dictator” however finally backed down and complied together with his rulings that blocked customers discovered to be spreading election disinformation after X, his social media platform, was banned for a month in Brazil.
Musk has additionally hit out on the UK authorities for its policing of offensive speech within the wake of far-right riots throughout the nation final August, evaluating the nation to the Soviet Union.
Europe has taken a harder strategy to regulating digital platforms than the US. The Digital Companies Act compels massive social media firms and internet platforms working within the area to make efforts to fight misinformation and hate speech.
The UK’s On-line Security Act creates related sweeping powers for media regulator Ofcom to punish tech giants for failing to police unlawful content material, equivalent to hate speech and incitement to violence.
