The State Department expanded its efforts to restrict the visas of people and family members of those acting on behalf of adversarial countries to “undermine America’s interests.”
The “significant expansion” of the policy applied to the whole Western Hemisphere, and the State Department said it had placed visa restrictions on 26 people so far.
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“President Trump’s National Security Strategy makes clear: this Administration will deny adversarial powers the ability to own or control vital assets or threaten the security and prosperity of the United States in our region,” the State Department said. “The Department of State is working to advance American leadership in our hemisphere, protect our homeland, and ensure access to vital routes and areas throughout our region.”
The statement listed “regional security and democratic sovereignty” among the U.S. national interests in “our hemisphere” that the policy seeks to protect.
The new policy goes beyond just targeting the visas of nationals of adversarial countries, applying also to their family members.
“This expanded policy enables us to restrict U.S. visas for nationals of countries in our region who, while within Western Hemisphere countries and while intentionally acting on behalf of adversarial countries, their agents, or enterprises, knowingly direct, authorize, fund, or provide significant support to, or carry out activities that are adversarial to and undermine America’s interests in our hemisphere. These individuals – and their immediate family members – will be generally ineligible for entry into the United States,” the State Department said.
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Among activities that could invite restrictions are “enabling adversarial powers to acquire or control key assets and strategic resources in our hemisphere; destabilizing regional security efforts; undermining American economic interests; and conducting influence operations designed to undermine the sovereignty and stability of nations in our region.”
The Trump administration’s new efforts to restrict visas have intensified in recent months, including several high-profile visa revocations and deportations. The State Department earned headlines earlier this month when Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the green cards of former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani’s niece and her daughter.
