Trump Approves Denying Visas to Fact-Checkers

The Trump administration is reportedly considering restricting H-1B visa eligibility for individuals who have worked in content moderation, fact-checking, or online safety roles. Family members of these workers could also lose their visa privileges.

A cable obtained by Reuters, dated Tuesday, instructs U.S. consular officers to conduct deeper background checks on these applicants, including reviewing resumes and LinkedIn profiles. The guidance states that if an applicant has been involved in censoring or attempting to censor protected speech in the United States, they should be deemed ineligible for a visa.

This includes positions at social media platforms or financial firms that have participated in restricting protected expression. Consular officers are advised to investigate applicants employment histories thoroughly to confirm whether they have engaged in such activities.

The State Department framed the policy as targeting individuals who act as censors rather than addressing broader free speech issues. A spokesperson said, We do not support aliens coming to the United States to work as censors muzzling Americans. In the past, the President himself was affected by this when social media companies restricted his accounts. He does not want other Americans to face similar treatment. Allowing foreigners to lead this type of censorship would both insult and harm the American people.

While the statement may seem ironic given Donald Trumps history of online confrontations, the policy fits within the administrations broader approach to regulating speech, which has included scrutinizing social media activity for visa approvals and monitoring university-related content before granting student visas.

Author: Benjamin Carter