Rubio Increases Visa Vetting, Pauses Refugee Operations at State Dept.
Newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio quickly began implementing President Donald Trump’s initiatives concerning refugees and visa policies for foreign nationals entering the U.S.
In one of his initial official actions, Rubio announced a halt to all refugee resettlement programs and heightened scrutiny for visa applicants from what were described as “dangerous regions,” according to an exclusive report by Fox News on Tuesday.
Rubio, who previously served as a U.S. senator from Florida, cited the president’s recently signed executive orders as the basis for these new directives.
Trump, having issued over 100 executive orders, included one focused on “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program” and another aimed at “[Protecting] the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
The first executive order temporarily suspends the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), citing its adverse impact on U.S. interests. The second calls for rigorous vetting of foreign nationals “to the maximum degree possible,” particularly those coming from “regions or nations with identified security risks.”
Fox News further highlighted that the refugee order grants the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security joint authority to admit individuals as refugees on a case-by-case basis. Such decisions would require their determination that the admission aligns with national interests and does not jeopardize U.S. security or public welfare.
Rubio took the oath of office as the 72nd Secretary of State on Tuesday morning, making him the first Cabinet member in Trump’s administration to receive Senate confirmation.
Addressing staff at the State Department later that day, Rubio emphasized, “There will be changes, but the changes are not meant to be destructive. They’re not meant to be punitive.
“The changes will be because we need to be a 21st-century agency that can move by — a cliché that’s used by many — at the speed of relevance. But we need to move faster than we ever have because the world is changing faster than we ever have. And we have to have a view that some say is called ‘look around the corner,’” he elaborated.
Rubio added, “But we really need to be thinking about where are we going to be in five, seven, 10 or 15 years. Some of the issues that confront humanity today have no precedent. They have no historic precedent. Some of the challenges we face have no historic precedent. We can compare it to another era, to another time, but they’re not the same. Things are moving faster than ever.”
One of Trump’s core campaign themes was his opposition to “open borders” and uncontrolled immigration under the Biden-Harris administration.
During his inaugural address on Monday, Trump declared, “I will declare a national emergency at our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted. And we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came. We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy. I will end the practice of catch and release. And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”
Fox News also reported that Rubio is planning to visit Panama as his first international trip in his new role.
While specifics are still being finalized, the visit could happen as early as next week. This follows Trump’s earlier comments post-election that China had gained control of the strategic Panama Canal, which was constructed by the U.S. in the 1930s. Trump vowed to address the situation, stating, “China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”