Indian scholar Badar Khan Suri was arrested by the Donald Trump administration because of his alleged Hamas connection. His wife’s father was a former Hamas adviser, and they met in Gaza in 2011 when Suri went to Gaza as part of an international convoy — as a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Now, anyone can meet Badar Khan Suri’s fate even if they are not connected to any Hamas advisers but if they visited Gaza after January 1, 2007 as the Trump administration recently ordered a social media vetting for all US visa applicants who have been to the Gaza Strip since this time. A Reuters report said it is the latest push to tighten the screening of foreign students.
In 2007, there was a brief civil war between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after Fatah lost the 2006 Palestinian legislative election.
The order to conduct a social media vetting for all immigrant and non-immigrant visas should include non-governmental organization workers as well as individuals who have been in the Hamas-ruled enclave for any length of time in an official or diplomatic capacity, the cable said.
“If the review of social media results uncovers potential derogatory information relating to security issues, then an SAO must be submitted,” the cable said, referring to a security advisory opinion, which is an interagency investigation to determine if a visa applicant poses a national security risk to the United States.
The cable, dated April 17, was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said in late March that he may have revoked more than 300 visas already.
When Marco Rubio said making America safer means revoking visas when threats arise
In a recent opinion piece for Fox News, Marco Rubio explained why the Trump administration is focused so much on revoking students’ visas. He said visiting America is not an entitlement, it’s a privilege extended to those who respect US laws and values.
“US visa holders should know in no uncertain terms that the US government’s rigorous security vetting does not end once a visa is granted,” he wrote.
“As Secretary of State, I will continue exercising my authority to support President Trump’s zero-tolerance approach to foreign nationals who abet terrorist organizations or participate in activities that threaten our national security or compromise a compelling foreign policy interest,” he said.
