It was claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed foreign missions to determine whether visa applicants are supporters of Palestine by examining their social media accounts.

According to officials speaking to the New York Times, information was provided about the directive allegedly sent on March 25.

CRITICIZING THE US AND ISRAEL ARE TARGETED According to officials who requested anonymity, Rubio instructed employees at US foreign missions to examine social media content to prevent individuals criticizing the US and Israel from entering the country during student and other visa applications. The directive particularly referenced student and exchange visas after October 7, 2023, when Israel began its attacks on Gaza, leading to an assessment in the news that one of the main purposes of social media screenings was to reject applications from students expressing sympathy for Palestinians.

EMPHASIS ON SELF-CENSORSHIP The news highlighted that such expressions could lead many foreign nationals to self-censor their speech and thoughts to avoid jeopardizing their chances of obtaining a US visa. The controversial arrests of Palestinian-supporting students and academics by the Donald Trump administration following the detention of Palestinian activist Mahmud Halil by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had sparked debates.

TURKISH STUDENT’S VISA WAS CANCELED

Secretary of State Rubio had announced the cancellation of visas for over 300 foreign students despite the freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.

Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was pursuing a doctoral degree at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was taken into custody by 6 ICE agents with masked faces on the evening of March 25 while going to have iftar with friends, becoming one of the names added to this list. Rubio had announced that Öztürk’s student visa was canceled, and she would be deported.