In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has initiated a "continuous vetting" process for approximately 55 million foreign nationals who hold visas to visit or reside in the United States.
This initiative involves the utilization of federal databases to scrutinize the backgrounds of these individuals, according to Breitbart.
The Department of State has confirmed this development, stating, "We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance, indicating a potential ineligibility under the INA [ Immigration and Nationality Act]."
The statement, however, did not disclose the number of visa holders that would be subject to this vetting process annually.
This move by the Trump administration suggests a strategic integration of federal tax, healthcare, criminal, and migration databases to expedite the identification of visa holders who have committed crimes. Foreign nationals have also been cautioned that their social media platforms will be under scrutiny by federal officials before granting them entry into the United States.
The State Department has made it clear that visas will be revoked if there are indications of potential ineligibility. This includes overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in terrorist activities, or providing support to a terrorist organization. The sheer number of visas is a result of policies implemented by several presidents since 1990, aimed at boosting migration, tourism, and trade visitors to the United States.
The U.S. government annually issues F-1 student visas to approximately one million foreign nationals, as well as H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, L-1, 0-1, and J-1 temporary work visas to about two million foreign contract workers. These visas also extend to the workers' non-citizen dependents, such as children, elderly parents, and spouses. However, there is substantial evidence that many foreigners resort to fraudulent means to obtain these visas.
Daniel Di Martino, a pro-migration activist with the Manhattan Institute, stated, "55 million is the total number of people WORLDWIDE who hold a visa. 90% of these live abroad and are on tourist visas." However, it is worth noting that many foreigners exploit these tourist visas to work illegally in the United States.
The Trump administration is now revoking the various programs used by President Joe Biden to grant partial legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. Approximately 13 million legal migrants possess so-called green cards that permit them to live and work in the United States. These cards, while not visas, may be inadvertently included in the 55 million total.
Under the Trump administration, there is a rapid cross-agency knowledge sharing to vet and possibly deport millions of migrants in the United States. Recently, the State Department announced the revocation of 6,000 foreign students' F-1 visas. An agency official told the New York Post, "Around 4,000 were [revoked] because the holder broke the law with the vast majority of the crimes committed included assault, DUI, and burglary."
The Department of Homeland Security is also reviewing public information about visa-holders who legally apply for green cards and citizenship. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow recently issued a directive for officials to assess a migrant's character before granting them citizenship.
An agency spokesperson stated that the updated naturalization process "ensures Americas newest citizens not only embrace Americas culture, history, and language but also demonstrate Good Moral Character."
The federal data sharing initiative is also aiding in the identification of many illegal migrants for deportation. For instance, in June, ICE detained an illegal migrant in Hawaii, reportedly after records showed that he had used a money transfer service to send cash to relatives in Mexico. This marked the first known instance of such data being used to investigate a solely immigration-related offense.
The linked criminal databases are also assisting ICE agents in detaining an increasing number of migrant criminals. This includes illegal migrants like Jonatan Monzon-Olivares of Guatemala, who had been arrested 38 times in several states and held 15 criminal convictions for sexual assault, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, possession of stolen property, and obstructing justice.
This continuous vetting process underscores the Trump administration's commitment to national security and the rule of law.
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