International students sue over Trump’s social media surveillance plan
1 min read
Summary
A group of 15 Iranian students and researchers have filed a lawsuit against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating the Trump administration’s pause on student visa interviews is a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.
The suit claims the State Department, led by Rubio, has required applicants to disclose social media handles since May 2019, and that Trump’s administration is emphasising political alignment over security.
The students, who have been admitted to universities across the US, had already attended visa interviews, but their applications are now subject to national security vetting, meaning they could be under consideration for up to a year.
The case is the latest in a string of moves targeting universities and international students, including revoking visas for Chinese students, suspending visas for pro-Palestine protesters, and restricting visas for European regulators responsible for censorship of US-protected speech.