WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has directed US diplomatic missions to identify “populations warranting increased scrutiny” and toughen screening for visa applicants in those groups, according to diplomatic cables seen by Reuters.
He has also ordered a “mandatory social media check” for all applicants who have ever been present in territory controlled by the IS, in what two former US officials said would be a broad, labour-intensive expansion of such screening.
Social media screening is now done fairly rarely by consular officials. Four cables, or memos, issued by Tillerson over the last two weeks provide insight into how the US government is implementing what President Donald Trump has called “extreme vetting” of foreigners entering the United States, a major campaign promise.
The cables also demonstrate the administrative and logistical hurdles the White House faces in executing its vision. — Reuters
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