This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A plan being developed by the administration of President Donald Trump to screen the social media postings of foreign students who want visas to travel to, and study in, the United States has prompted a suspension of embassy appointments for those visas.
A report at CNN explains Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dispatched instructions to U.S. embassies and consulates to pause appointments for those students seeking permissions to come to America.
That's because the department is working to expand "social media screening and vetting" for all applicants.
The announcement comes, the report said, just as the Trump administration has revoked student visas for some students, and further withdrew permission for Harvard to enroll foreign students because of the presence of anti-Semitism on campus, although that decision was temporarily suspended by a judge.
Going on now, the State Department said, was "a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants, and based on that review, plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants."
A large part of what has been creating problems is the rampant anti-Semitism on some university campuses. Anti-Israel protests have been allowed, and protesters protected, even as Jewish students face discrimination, according to multiple reports.
The cable explained those appointments, as well as the screening and vetting of applicants could have "potentially significant implications for consular section operations, processes and resource allocations."
The instructions are that embassies and consulates are not to add "any additional student or exchange visa … appointment capacity until further guidance is issued." Also, existing appointment openings are to be blocked.
At Politico, a report elaborated, "The administration had earlier imposed some social media screening requirements, but those were largely aimed at returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. The cable doesn't directly spell out what the future social media vetting would screen for, but it alludes to executive orders that are aimed at keeping out terrorists and battling antisemitism."
