US scrutinises 55 million visas to check for violations to rules

The White House said that it has over 55 million visas under scrutiny to see if rules were violated, in which case holders could be deported as part of a broadening of the US’s restrictions on foreigners allowed to visit the country, the AP reported.

In a written answer to a question from The Associated Press, the State Department said all US visa holders, which can include tourists from many countries, are subject to “continuous vetting,” with an eye toward any indication they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay in the country. The State Department said it was looking for indicators of ineligibility, including people staying past the authorised timeframe outlined in a visa, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity or providing support to a terrorist organisation.

“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,” the department said. The 55 million figure suggests that some people subject to review would currently be outside the US with multiple-entry tourist visas, said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the US immigration policy program at the Migration Policy Institute. She questioned the value of spending resources on people who may never return to the US.

Foreign truck drivers no more

The United States will also stop issuing worker visas for commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X. He said the change was effective immediately. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio. The Trump administration in the past months has taken steps to enforce the requirement that truckers speak and read English proficiently. The Transportation Department said the aim is to improve road safety following incidents in which drivers’ ability to read signs or speak English may have contributed to traffic deaths. “Ensuring that every driver on our roads meets the highest standards is important to protecting the livelihoods of American truckers and maintaining a secure, resilient supply chain,” the department said. “The goal here is not to target specific classes of workers, but to send the message to American employers that they are at risk if they are employing foreign workers. The economic consequences will be far larger than just visas being stripped from foreign workers in a few job categories,” the department added.