The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it is vetting all 55 million foreigners with U.S. visas and warned that any violations could lead to immediate visa revocation and deportation. The State Department stressed that visa holders are under "constant scrutiny" for, among other things, overstaying, criminal activity, threats to public safety or ties to terrorism.
The move follows an earlier announcement that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would expand its screening to applicants' social media accounts to check for "anti-American" activity. Critics say the vague definition could give immigration officials sweeping powers and increase uncertainty for millions of people.
On the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would immediately stop issuing work visas to commercial truck drivers, citing safety concerns and risks to the domestic trucking industry. "The growing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on American roads is endangering American lives and undermining the livelihoods of American truckers," Rubio said in a post on X. Analysts say the administration's crackdown on immigration is expanding from illegal immigrants and students to nearly all legal visa holders. That could put many of them at risk of losing their status.
New data from the Pew Research Center shows that the U.S. immigrant population fell by nearly 1.5 million in the first half of this year, the first net decline in decades. The total fell to 51.9 million in June from 53.3 million in January. Researchers attribute the decline largely to tougher policies that have led to both deportations and voluntary departures.
The White House argues that fewer immigrants eases pressure on public services and helps the job market recover. But experts warn that the long-term effects could be detrimental, with labor shortages in key sectors such as agriculture, health care and services. They note that as the baby boomers retire, the U.S. dependence on immigrant labor could actually deepen.
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