The Trump administration halts new student visa appointments and plans expanded social media vetting, escalating tensions with U.S. universities and raising concerns over academic freedom and international education.

In a broad stroke with potential broad consequences for global education and relations, the Trump administration has instructed a halt in new student visa appointments across U.S. embassies worldwide. The move, communicated in a diplomatic cable by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is part of a larger initiative to increase screening of foreign students and exchange visitors through social media.

As per the memo released by CBS News, U.S. embassies were directed to cancel all unscheduled student visa appointments “until further guidance is issued.” Though students with already scheduled appointments will continue to be processed, the shift effectively puts a halt to the intake of new foreign students into the U.S., a step that has stunned educational centers and immigration activists alike.

The memo spells out proposals for a widened regime of social media screening, which would become obligatory across the board for student and foreign exchange visa applicants. The State Department indicated the widening will have “substantial implications” for U.S. embassies and consulates, which already have backlogs and procedural slowdowns.

This step comes in the wake of growing tension between the Trump administration and a number of leading U.S. universities. President Trump has consistently railed against elite universities like Harvard and Yale for promoting liberal bias and allowing antisemitism disguised as political activism. The administration argues that pro-Palestinian protests on campus borders have turned hateful and claims that discriminatory admissions practices have singled out certain groups.

In recent weeks, the administration doubled down on its pressure campaign by trying to revoke around $100 million in federal money from Harvard University alone. The White House also tried to take away the institution’s ability to bring in international students and researchers. While a federal judge temporarily halted the policy, the legal fight serves to highlight the administration’s aggressive strategy toward higher education.

For American universities, the new visa limitations endanger a vital talent and funding pipeline. Foreign students who pay full tuition help bring billions of dollars of income to the American higher education sector each year. At high-end institutions such as Harvard, international students make up over 25% of the students. Restricting their entry could have severe financial and reputational impacts.

“We take very seriously the process of vetting who it is that comes into the country, and we’re going to continue to do that,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a press briefing. Critics, however, say that this focus on vetting, especially through increased social media surveillance, could have a chilling effect on academic freedom and international collaboration.

Universities and civil rights organizations caution that the administration’s actions are an infringement into individual privacy and an attack on freedom of expression. “This is not about safety—this is about control,” a representative of the American Council on Education stated. “We are seeing an unparalleled intrusion into students’ lives, into academic study, and into diversity that has enriched our universities for centuries.

The action also takes place when the United States is under strong competition from nations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia for foreign students. With visa processing and political instability hanging in the balance, many potential students can now look elsewhere overseas.

With the Trump administration continuing to ratchet up its assault on what it sees as ideological enemies in academia, the future of international education in America remains uncertain. For the present, thousands of students globally find themselves in limbo—not merely waiting for a visa appointment, but waiting to know if they remain welcome in American classrooms.