The weaponisation of digital footprints of young people, who were barely out of their teens, against them is cynical
In a move that could go against the foundational principles of the United States, the Donald Trump administration has decided to suspend issuance of visas for students to conduct deeper screening of their social media engagement. Officials claim that the decision was aimed at containing left-wing influence over American universities, but it stifles the freedom of thought that the United States claims to espouse.
After World War II, America emerged not just as a military superpower but as a moral beacon, claiming to uphold freedom of speech, thought and inquiry. It welcomed students from around the world, not because they agreed with the American way or opinion, but because the country believed in the free exchange of ideas. Harvard, Yale, Stanford and hundreds of other institutions became the magnets for the world's best minds.
While every country enjoys sovereign right to determine who will enter its territory, democracies, especially the one like the US which claims to lead the free world, will have to deploy this power in a manner that is consistent with the values that they claim to represent. The weaponisation of digital footprints of young people, who were barely out of their teens, against them is cynical. A tweet supporting climate protests, or a repost of a civil rights video, or a satirical meme could now be grounds for denying a US visa to study in the United States.
This is not the first time that US President Trump has used immigration policy as an instrument of political control. In his first term, Trump banned citizens of Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States, but revoked it later. In his second, he imposed different levels of travel restrictions on 43 countries on the pretext of security. However, targeting international students for their online presence represents a dangerous inflection point because it does not merely shut the borders, but aims to close minds.
The United States has been enjoying an unparalleled global dominance, which no country or empire had ever achieved in history. It had been successful in doing so by implementing a new strategy that attracted the best of global minds, regardless of nationality, ethnicity or ideology, while outsourcing menial work to other countries.
If it shuts the doors on foreign students, it will deny the opportunity to attract some great minds, leading to alternative talent hubs — either in China, Europe or somewhere else. It will be a loss to no one but America and will strengthen alternative power centres.
As English has an unparalleled pool of knowledge, many faculty and students tend to use this language for their mutual benefit, making the US a hub of talent. However, the Trump administration’s distaste for foreign students could serve as a blessing in disguise, if it uses this opportunity properly. India has the second largest English-speaking population (129 million) in the world after the 300 million in the US. The government should attract universities like Harvard with iron-clad guarantees for freedom and make the country regain its ancient tag of being the global education hub.
