The United States has launched a sweeping review of more than 55 million visa holders in what critics describe as one of the harshest assaults on migrants, foreign workers, and students in modern American history.

The State Department confirmed that all visa holders will be placed under “continuous vetting,” a process that subjects them to permanent surveillance. Officials said visas could be revoked for reasons ranging from minor overstays to accusations of “anti-American ideologies.”

Immigrant rights groups warn that this is a recipe for mass expulsions and fear-driven self-censorship among millions who live, work, and study legally in the US.

Social Media Policing

The crackdown extends into personal lives, with US authorities now combing through applicants’ and visa holders’ social media accounts for any signs of what they call “hostility” toward American institutions or policies.

Civil liberties advocates argue that this opens the door to revoking visas based on political beliefs, criticism of the US government, or even solidarity with oppressed peoples abroad. Several foreign students have already been arrested for joining peaceful protests against Israel’s war on Gaza, which Washington continues to fund and defend.

Criminalizing Dissent

The government has instructed officers to identify anyone accused of supporting “designated terrorist organizations,” a label critics say is often applied selectively to groups opposing US or Israeli policies. The orders also include monitoring for alleged “antisemitic harassment,” but make no mention of Islamophobic or racist abuse faced by migrants themselves.

“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” said Matthew Tragesser of US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Rights groups denounced the statement as xenophobic, saying it equates legitimate criticism of US foreign policy with extremism.

A Broader War on Migrants

The visa purge marks the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s second administration, which has prioritized an aggressive anti-immigration agenda. The White House has revoked over 6,000 student visas, imposed a $15,000 deposit requirement for tourist or business visas for citizens of Malawi and Zambia, temporarily stripped legal status from more than 500,000 migrants, and enacted travel bans on 12 countries—many of them Muslim-majority—with partial restrictions on seven others. Additionally, the administration has vowed to end birthright citizenship, a constitutional right enshrined since 1868.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently halted all new work visas for foreign truck drivers, arguing they endanger “American lives,” in a move widely seen as pandering to Trump’s base at the expense of immigrant livelihoods.

Fear and Uncertainty

For millions of families, the new measures mean living under constant threat. Students fear losing years of education, workers risk sudden deportation, and entire communities face surveillance simply for expressing political opinions.

Human rights defenders say the policy reveals the true face of Trump’s “America First” doctrine: scapegoating foreigners to distract from domestic failures, silencing dissent, and weaponizing immigration laws to enforce ideological loyalty.

As one migrant rights advocate put it: “This is not about security — it’s about punishing migrants, policing thought, and sending a message that America only belongs to those who stay silent.” (ILKHA)