Since Donald Trump became President of the United States, his administration has taken a hardline approach against illegal immigrants. More than 6,000 visas have been canceled, and special flights have been arranged to deport a large number of people from the country. Inspections and raids on undocumented immigrants have continued, including unannounced checks carried out by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Los Angeles, which sparked widespread protests and unrest for nearly fifteen days, spreading to other regions. Many demonstrations were held across the country opposing the Trump administration’s policies.
Largest Domestic Screening Operation in U.S. History
The DHS has now launched an even larger screening operation, set to review 55 million visas. Authorities will examine whether visa holders have violated any rules, committed crimes, engaged in terrorist activities, supported extremist organizations, or overstayed their permitted time in the U.S. Anyone found in violation will have their visas canceled immediately and will be deported to their home countries. Officials describe this as the largest domestic screening or inspection operation in U.S. history.
Since Trump returned to office in January, over 6,000 student visas have already been canceled. Many students were deported for overstays, violations, drunk driving, or suspected ties to terrorist organizations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that such actions are authorized under the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows visa cancellations for activities deemed harmful to U.S. foreign policy. The administration plans to expand the visa review process further, including checks on social media activity, data sharing, and access to tax records of millions of immigrants through agreements with the Internal Revenue Service. Officials stated that since January, 13,900 non-citizens have been deported and another 15,000 arrested, and they now plan to end temporary protections for approximately one million individuals.