The Trump administration will begin reviewing all 55 million US visa holders to see if any have committed deportable offenses.
Any immigrants holding US visas found with “indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization” will have their permits to live in the US revoked and be deported, the State Department announced Thursday.
State Department representatives told the Associated Press all US visa holders are subject to “continuous vetting” intended to identify deportable offenses.
“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 announcement comes as the Trump administration has begun cracking down on the visa system, with particular scrutiny cast on the nation’s student visa holders.
Since Trump took office in January, 6,000 student visas have been revoked – with about 4,000 being taken from international students who broke the law.
