Censorship vs immigration
Censorship of the conservative, and right-wing views, or airing of anti-US ones can be used by the American officials to deny H-1B visas to both new applicants, and those who wish to renew them. A detailed official note has been circulated to those who process the visas to check the social media posts, and uploads, as well as other platforms of the applicants to deter those who do not agree with Donald Trump’s American way of thinking. Thus, censorship of conservative ideas, which include anti-vaccine, and anti-abortion, will form a basis to reject the visas. Ironic as it seems, censorship will be used as an excuse to censure those who wish to enter the US.
This is yet another means devised by the US president to weed out elements whose thinking is not in sync with Trump’s. In the domestic arena, the White House has tried to remove foreign students from the so-called liberal colleges and universities by checking on their social posts, participation in specific anti-US or pro-US-enemy protests, and allying with such organisations. Apart from the students, the universities were taken to task with the withdrawal of federal budget allocations. The case is pending in the US courts. There are efforts to eject illegal migrants, and those who do not subscribe to the American way, which in essence implies Trump’s way.
For the visa seekers, this creates several problems. Social media posts that are, say, a decade old, and were uploaded during the more innocent and immature teenage years, can be used by the officials to deny visas. People will need to clean up their social media to ensure that there are no signs of any anti-US, or anti-right-wing vestiges. Even photographs, essays, blogs, vlogs, videos, podcasts, and other forms of social communication will need to be erased. The ‘right to forget’ may become the recourse, only if a home nation allows it in practice. Nations have laws for it, but are not implemented.
The new visa regime reminds us of an era, which we thought was gone forever, when the ‘Reds’ and communists were targeted. Even those who had a whiff of an association with a left-wing group or entity were dubbed guilty of spreading communism. Some, who were not guilty, were asked to name names of those who were. If the former did not, they became communist by inaction. In the case of H-1B visas, if your friend lists and contacts have the names of people who regularly oppose American policies, or air sarcastic remarks about the president, they may find themselves in trouble.
Already, Indians, who have some strong and ongoing connections with the US, are cagey about attaching themselves to seemingly-anti-US views and opinions. For example, professionals, whose family members work in the US, refuse to associate with controversial issues. Indian students in American colleges refuse to talk on the phone, even on encrypted platforms, about what is happening in that country. Parents and spouses of those living in the US refuse to engage in the so-called sensitive conversations. There is a fear to like, or even attach a thumbs up icon to social media posts.
In a recent cable that was sent to the US missions across the world, consular officers were urged, according to a media report, to see if the visa applicants, and family members who may travel with them, had “worked in areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance, online safety, among others.” The cable adds, “If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for, or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is ineligible.”
Although the language relates to suppression of free speech through misinformation or disinformation, its practice will have a far-reaching effect. This is because, as media reports indicate, Trump’s White House defines the lack of free speech as the “stifling of conservative voices online.” Given this context, if you are a liberal with left leanings, you may be suppressing the freedom of expression. The same rules will apply in practice to those who oppose the new America’s opinions on social and health issues like the efficacy of vaccines. Indeed, any views contrary to Trump will be included.
In May this year, the US secretary of state threatened to ban visas for foreigners who censor speech by Americans. Now, this context offers quite a long rope to the consulars, and officials, to stop certain kinds of foreigners. In such cases, any form of anti-US, rather anti-Trump, and anti-conservative views can lad to visa bans. It may have happened years, and decades ago. But if it is still alive on the Internet, and it is difficult to kill content on the web, one can be in trouble. Thus, a thorough clean-up will be required to remove it.
Over the past few months, Trump and his allies and loyalists have even accused the former Democratic president, Joe Biden, of encouraging the suppression of free speech. In this context, the former implies the latter’s attempts to counter the false claims by sections of conservatives that the Biden elections were rigged. If a former president can be charged in this manner, one can only imagine what a foreigner, whose visa is rejected, can do. The idea, it seems, is deep. It is to make America home for Americans, and those who think like Americans, or rather hardcore republicans.
There may be a deep-rooted plan, and the advisory to the consulars on H-1B visas may be a part of the larger, universal, all-encompassing strategy to increase the voter base of the republicans. Experience shows that most of the recent immigrants are democrat voters, and include huge swathes of recent foreigners. By limiting entries in universities, tech firms, and corporate America to the so-called conservative, or those with republican-like views, the future electorate will reflect this change. In a sense, most of the new voters will vote republicans, and increase the party’s victory chances.
H-1B visas have become a huge target for the Trump administration, which sees all the ills and evils concentrated in the regime. Limiting and changing the regime will solve most of the existing problems, change America the way Trump’s wants, and ‘Make America Great Again.’ A new visa system will help Americans find more jobs, restrict entry to high-skilled and highly-paid foreigners, allow mostly conservatives to enter the country, and make the US more productive. It will influence the future presidential elections.
