All 55 million US visa holders open to revocations and deportations, Trump administration says

The Trump administration is going to re-screen all 55 million US visa holders for what it considers to be violations that include overstaying the allotted time period, being a threat to public safety, or providing support to a terrorist organisation, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.

Officials from the State Department, the agency that has oversight of visas, did not provide definitions of exactly what would constitute a threat, or how support for a terror group would be assessed, leading critics to question if this is part of an effort to stifle free expression in the country.

All persons inside the US are protected by First Amendment free expression rights, according to the US constitution. 

If a visa holder is found in violation of the Trump administration's conditions, the AP's reporting said, they would have their visa revoked and be subject to deportation if they are inside the US.

It's unclear how people would be notified about such a decision, or how much time they would have to depart on their own accord. 

The administration has already been cracking down on immigrants and foreigners in the US via sudden and sometimes violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests by unidentified masked agents, resulting in a chilling effect across minority communities. 

For those with multiple-entry visas who are outside the country, visa revocations mean they would not be able to return. 

According to the Department of Homeland Security, as cited by the AP, there are just under 13 million green card holders in the US (permanent residents) and 3.6 million people on temporary visas, including tourist visas.

The remainder are likely visa holders outside the country. 

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it clear he considers green card holders - who are just one step removed from citizenship - to be just as much "guests" in the US as tourists are. 

"We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance indicating a potential ineligibility," the agency told the AP in an email. 

New guidance issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) earlier this month said that marriage to an US citizen is no longer considered a path to a green card, and that all immigrants must demonstrate "good moral character" and not have had any "anti-American" activity in their past. 

Again, the terms were not defined, but the agency did allude to "antisemitism" and "communism" as behaviours it is looking for. 

Exactly how millions of people are going to be so thoroughly vetted again is unclear, but the administration is very likely to bring in custom AI tools for the job. 

Civil liberties advocates have already said this could lead to mistakes in the process.