Thousands of Kenyans living in the United States are among those set to be affected after President Donald Trump's administration announced a fresh review of foreigners with US visas.
The US government, on Thursday, August 21, revealed plans to review more than 55 million foreign visa holders, which could potentially result in mass deportations.
Speaking during an interview with the Associated Press (AP), the US Department of State disclosed that the review of visas would include tourists from many countries across the world.
According to the US government, the move is part of the continuous vetting and part of the crackdown on foreigners who are permitted in the country. It aims to find violations that could render the visa holders ineligible for stay in America.
However, Trump's administration admitted that the process would be time-consuming but emphasised the need for continuous vetting to ensure full adherence to the US laws.
Similarly, the US government noted that the 55 million figure suggests that some people who are subject to the planned review would currently be outside America but with multiple-entry tourist visas.
Trump's new directive means that even those approved to be legally in the US could see their visas revoked, which could result in their immediate deportation.
The State Department said it was looking for any indicators of ineligibility, such as people overstaying their authorised timeframe, criminal activity, threats to public safety, or engaging in any terrorist activity.
“We review all available information as part of our vetting, including law enforcement or immigration records or any other information that comes to light after visa issuance, indicating a potential ineligibility,” the US Department said.
At the same time, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced the immediate suspension of all visas for foreign commercial truck drivers.
According to Rubio, the increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads was endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.
"Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers," Rubio declared in a brief statement shared on his X account.
