Trump Administration Expands Visa Crackdown With New Fear-of-Return Screening Rule
A new Trump administration visa rule is drawing immediate scrutiny because it appears to force applicants to deny fearing persecution or risk losing access to the United States.
According to The Guardian and The Washington Post, consular officers have been told to ask whether visa applicants have suffered harm or fear returning home. Applicants reportedly must answer “no” for processing to continue.
Supporters frame it as fraud prevention.
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Critics say it could shut out people who may later seek asylum legally, raising questions about whether humanitarian protections are being narrowed through visa policy rather than direct asylum law.
The move lands amid a broader Trump immigration crackdown that has included tighter vetting, country-based restrictions and aggressive deportation policies, making this more than an isolated rule change.
Now the biggest question is whether courts, diplomats or Congress challenge the guidance before it becomes a larger test case over asylum rights.
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