The State Department has launched an AI-powered program to cancel student visas based on social media activities. This is the threat of deporting foreign students who are engaged in “illegal protests,” following the recent threat of President Donald Trump. This is a term that applies to Palestinian demonstrations.
This development represents a dramatic expansion of AI-driven political police in the United States. The system, reminiscent of China's social credit model, raises urgent concerns about future scope and the precedents it sets. What begins as a tool for scrutinizing visa holders can quickly expand beyond foreign students and evolve into a powerful surveillance instrument that can monitor, blacklist and punish American citizens for political speech, online activities, or participation in protests.
Once AI-driven monitoring is normalized, the possibility of weaponization cannot be denied. The very mechanism designed to target today's non-citizens can tomorrow oppose journalists, activists and opposition.
“Catch and Goke”
According to an Axios report, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is implementing an AI-powered “Catch and Revoke” program. Scan social media accounts of tens of thousands of foreign student visa holders. All Axios:
Reviews of social media accounts are specifically looking for evidence of alleged terrorist sympathy expressed after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, officials say.
If the system considers the post suspicious, or, as Axios said, believes it will “see” to support Hamas, the State Department may cancel a student visa. (In particular, as reported by New American, the story surrounding the October 7 attack on Hamas as an isolated atrocity, is now rapidly falling apart, hinting at the Israeli government itself.)
Authorities also plan to look into the internal database. They check if the visa holder was arrested but remained in the country during the Biden administration. Additionally, authorities have reviewed news reports on “anti-Israel” demonstrations and analyzed lawsuits from Jewish students who claim foreigners engaged in “anti-Semitic” activities without consequences.
The State Department coordinates with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by one state official, described as “all government and the entire approach of authority” per Axios.
Unanswered Questions
Despite its drastic implications, the State Department has yet to provide a clear answer on how an AI-powered visa revocation system works. Among the many unanswered questions:
Which specific criteria trigger visa revocation? Is it simply an expression of the Palestinian view, or does the AI system require explicit support for violence? The government has not disclosed the classification system.
Will Visa owners be given the opportunity to object to the cancellation? To date, the authorities have not provided any indications that they will warn affected students or allow them to appeal their decision.
How does AI determine intentions? Social media posts often lack context. Does the system falsely punish sarcasm, reposted news articles, or academic debates?
What protections are available for bias? AI monitoring tools have a history of disproportionately targeting minority groups. How does the system ensure fair enforcement?
Can I flag US citizens? If citizens interact or share content, are they under surveillance?
Will this technology extend beyond international students? Given the widespread government crackdown on “anti-Semitism,” is the management planning to extend AI surveillance to include university staff, administrators, or organizations involved in pro-Palestinian activities beyond students?
The dangerous expansion of government power
Even if the government ends up providing answers to these questions, the mere existence of such a drastic AI surveillance system is a direct path to government overreach. Historically, when governments establish infrastructure for surveillance and police, scope is rarely limited. Such a system:
Creates precedents for future expansions. Today it's a foreign student. Tomorrow, it could be the voice of a US citizen, a journalist, an activist, or an opposition party.
Turn political speech into a punishable crime. If AI can determine who holds an “unwanted” view, the government can systematically silence the objection through visa cancellation, surveillance and blacklisting.
Enable inter-agency coordination for mass monitoring. The “whole government and the whole authority” approach suggests broad cooperation between multiple agencies, raising concerns about how this surveillance effort will arrive. The involvement of the State Department, DOJ and DHS illustrate the potential for a much greater surveillance device with impact beyond visa holders.
It does not clarify what role the due process plays. The main concern is who decide who can stay in the country. Opaque algorithms without meaningful oversight can make these decisions rather than judges or legal experts.
If AI becomes the sole or primary decision maker, individuals may unfairly lose their visa. They may have little relied on to challenge illegal revocations.
Without transparency, accountability and safeguards, this system is more than just a visa screening. There are no clear restrictions on who can be targeted next, setting new norms for AI-driven political control.
AI America Surveillance: Broader Trends
AI-driven surveillance of foreign visa holders is not an isolated development. It is part of a broader expansion of government surveillance.
The US government is increasingly outsourcing its surveillance operations to private technology companies. These companies operate with minimal public surveillance.
For example, Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, has become an important player in this ecosystem. Thiel, a known business associate for Elon Musk and a leading donor for Donald Trump, helps position Palantir as an essential tool for law enforcement and intelligence reporting agencies. The company is developing AI-powered data analytics tools to enhance government ability to track, classify and monitor individuals.
Originally supported by the CIA venture arm, Palantir has built a system that allows individuals to track their individuals based on online activities, financial transactions and personal networks. Federal agencies such as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Health and Welfare Welfare (HHS) use Palantir's technology to monitor immigration, edit activist watchlists, and track journalists.
During the COVID pandemic, Palantia expanded its reach even further. The company has gained access to a vast amount of American medical data through contracts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS, and state governments. Authorities presented these initiatives as public health measures, but they set a precedent for AI-led, mass data collection on American citizens.
With the new State Department AI visa revocation system, alarms for AI-driven monitoring are growing to extend beyond foreigners. Infrastructure for automated political police already exists. When reused, AI surveillance suggests a future where anyone can be monitored, flagged, punished, and without individuals out of reach of the system.
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