In the midst of the Trump Administration’s offensive against immigration, the U.S. government has halted visa application appointments worldwide. A State Department spokesperson justified on Tuesday that the agency had launched a global training initiative at all U.S. embassies and consulates, and stated that visa service appointments would be modified to facilitate this training.
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The State Department does not specify the details or schedule of the training. It only points out that its goal was to help consular officers screen out applicants considered likely to depend on U.S. public benefits and ensure that visa applications are evaluated “thoroughly and consistently.”
The halt of visa application appointments was first reported by the British newspaper Financial Times, which reports that some migration visa applicants who already had interviews scheduled at U.S. embassies and consulates have received emails informing them that their appointments will be rescheduled and that a new date will be notified later.
In his second term, Trump has pushed an aggressive deportation campaign and an offensive against immigration that includes revoking visas and residence permits, as well as rejecting applications for various reasons, including political opinions and participation in pro-Palestinian protests against the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
The president maintains that these measures aim to improve domestic security. However, the offensive has suffered some judicial setbacks. Last Friday, a U.S. judge overturned a Trump Administration policy that suspended immigrant visa issuance to applicants from 75 countries, considering it exceeded the powers granted by law to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump’s immigration offensive has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, which consider it discriminatory and contrary to freedom of expression and due process guarantees. These organizations also argue that the offensive has created an unsafe environment in the United States, especially for ethnic minorities, who have expressed concern about racial profiling.
Although Trump campaigned in 2024 with the promise to curb illegal immigration, his Administration has also made legal immigration more difficult. For example, it has imposed new and high fees on applicants for certain work visas.
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