Donald Trump has ordered attacks on humanitarian initiatives that benefit migrants. These changes apply only to people from a few specific countries who are already residing within the United States. This multipronged initiative seeks to penalize immigrants by making our immigration policies stricter. It gives a huge boost to Trump’s agenda in stopping illegal immigration.
The U.S. State Department is now going after people whose conduct “is contrary” to U.S. national interests. One of the components of these measures, though, Trump has effectively banned foreign nationals from 12 countries from coming to the U.S. In addition, he has issued partial bans on seven other countries. In the last few years, these actions would represent a massive retreat on immigration policy by this administration.
The new requirement the U.S. is reportedly planning would impact millions of international travelers. Soon, foreign nationals from certain countries could be required to pay a $15,000 upfront deposit when applying for temporary business or tourist visas. This 12-month pilot program is aimed at preventing visa overstays. In particular, it zeros in on nationals from countries with high overstay rates or who otherwise do not have enough screening and vetting data.
“Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.” – state department notice
This temporary pilot program applies to people from six nations where they are offered Citizenship by Investment. Its first focus is on naturalized citizens who didn’t have to undergo a residency requirement to obtain their citizenship. In fact, we would expect him to sign an executive order on the first day of his second term. As a direct result, this policy will go into effect.
In fact, in recent months, Trump’s administration has unlawfully revoked visas of hundreds of international students. In addition, officials have arrested dozens more on college campuses around the country. These actions are simply another manifestation of the hardline approach to immigration and visa enforcement that this administration has increased.
“Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program.” – state department notice
Similarly, now many people impacted by these recent repressive measures were deeply involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. Many advocates, particularly those focused on civil liberties, are up in arms.