The United States has announced tighter global visa screening measures, introducing new rules and criteria aimed at strengthening security checks for travelers seeking entry into the country.

Tommy Pigott, deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, said the Trump administration has rolled out “enhanced vetting procedures and updated guidelines” for visa issuance worldwide.

Under the new rules, consular officers are instructed to consider additional risk factors and apply stricter criteria before approving any visa application.

“Each visa decision is ultimately a matter of national security,” Pigott said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring that every application undergoes a more rigorous review than ever before.”

He added that the State Department continuously evaluates and updates its procedures to prevent anyone who could pose a potential threat from entering the United States.

“Our guiding principle is common sense: we must ensure that no individual who could harm the public is allowed into the country,” Pigott said. “We will keep refining and strengthening our policies to make the process even more secure and effective.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.

His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation push but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.

AUSTIN, TEXAS: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the country’s most prominent Muslim civil rights organisations, filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking to block the enforcement of a gubernatorial proclamation that designated the group as a “foreign terrorist organisation” and barred it from purchasing land in the state.

The lawsuit was filed jointly by CAIR’s Dallas–Fort Worth and Austin chapters, marking a significant escalation in the standoff between the state government and the Muslim civil rights community.

CAIR contends that the governor acted without notice, evidence or any opportunity for the organisation to be heard, branding a longstanding American nonprofit as a terrorist entity in violation of both federal and state law. 

The petition argues that the authority to designate foreign terrorist organisations lies exclusively with the United States Secretary of State, and that the governor’s unilateral move constitutes a violation of the US Constitution as well as a clear overreach of state powers.

The lawsuit further states that Abbott’s proclamation infringes upon CAIR’s rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by damaging the organisation’s reputation and property interests, and violates the First Amendment by targeting its political speech, particularly its longstanding criticism of Israeli government policies.

Reacting to the lawsuit, Governor Abbott posted a statement on X, declaring that the legal challenge would “expose all of their financial activities and dealings” and claiming that the attorney general “will have a great day” once the organisation’s records are scrutinised.

A day after issuing the proclamation, the governor also dispatched a separate letter directing criminal inquiries into what he described as “Sharia courts” operating in Collin and Dallas counties. 

These, he alleged, were Muslim mediation groups presenting themselves as courts and issuing decisions to impose Islamic law — a claim CAIR and other community organisations strongly reject. Governor Abbott instructed district attorneys, county sheriffs, Attorney General Paxton and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin to investigate such activities.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Tribunal — one of the groups referenced in public debate — issued a clarification on its website explaining that it is neither a law firm nor a judicial authority, and that its members are not attorneys. 

It stated that it provides voluntary mediation and arbitration services based on Islamic principles, with all proceedings conducted under federal, state and local law, and that no decision is legally binding unless formally recognised by a state court. 

It noted that Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities across the United States make frequent use of voluntary mediation systems, which exist alongside and not in place of official courts.

The governor’s recent directives followed his announcement describing CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations, an allegation CAIR-Texas called an “Islamophobic conspiracy theory”, insisting that Americans retain the constitutional right to seek voluntary religious mediation while only state courts hold legal authority to enforce judgments.

Attorney Charlie Swift of the Muslim Legal Fund of America criticised the governor’s actions as an attack on constitutional principles and said the proclamation must fail in court. CAIR’s General Counsel Lena Masri remarked that the organisation has successfully defeated Governor Abbott three times previously in First Amendment litigation, and expressed confidence in prevailing again. 

CAIR-Texas stated that the governor is targeting American Muslims under the influence of “Israel First politics”, adding that the community will continue to defend its constitutional rights without intimidation.

The lawsuit describes Abbott’s claims as false, defamatory and unsupported by Texas law, emphasising that CAIR is an independent American nonprofit unaffiliated with any foreign group. 

The organisation is seeking an injunction to halt the implementation of the governor’s order, as well as damages for the harm caused by the designation.

The confrontation has now developed into a significant constitutional and political dispute in Texas, one that observers say may have broader implications for Muslim civil rights across the United States.

• US diplomats asked to review H-1B visa applicants’ LinkedIn profiles.
• H-1B visa applicants ineligible if found engaged in ‘censorship’.
• New vetting requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has ordered increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, with anyone involved in “censorship” of free speech considered for rejection, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters.

H-1B visas are crucial for US tech companies, which recruit heavily from countries including India and China. Many of those companies’ leaders threw their support behind Trump in the last presidential election.

The cable, sent to all US missions on December 2, orders US consular officers to review resumes or LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants – and family members who would be travelling with them – to see if they have worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others.

“If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible,” under a specific article of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the cable said.

The enhanced vetting for H-1B visas, which allow US employers to hire foreign workers in speciality fields, has not been previously reported.

The cable said all visa applicants were subject to this policy, but sought a heightened review for the H-1B applicants, given they frequently worked in the technology sector, including in social media or financial services companies involved in the suppression of protected expression.

“You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities,” the cable said.

The new vetting requirements apply to both new and repeat applicants.

The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy.

Officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they say is the suppression of right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views like criticism of immigration in the name of countering disinformation.

In May, Rubio threatened visa bans for people who censor speech by Americans, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials regulating US tech companies.

The Trump administration has already significantly tightened its vetting of applicants for student visas, ordering US consular officers to screen for any social media posts that may be hostile towards the United States.

As part of his wide-ranging crackdown on immigration, Trump in September imposed new fees on H-1B visas.

Trump and his Republican allies have repeatedly accused the administration of Democratic former President Joe Biden of encouraging suppression of free speech on online platforms, claims that have centred on efforts to stem false claims about vaccines and elections.