MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The State Department announced that it is vetting more than 55 million foreign nationals who currently hold valid U.S. visas.
The announcement stated that people are subject to “continuous vetting,” keeping an eye on any indication they could be ineligible to stay in the U.S.
Some locals who spoke out say they see nothing wrong with the process.
“I think they are right,” Armando Gracia, who crosses the bridge regularly, said. “For me, it’s a good point of view. If you are coming and going, then you should have your papers in order and follow the country’s regulations to be there legally. I understand that some people didn’t have the same circumstances, but the right thing is that.”
Evelio Zepeda, from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, told ValleyCentral that he has no problems as he is not doing anything bad.
“Well, they have their right, that’s how it is,” Zepeda said. “I have nothing to worry about because I don’t do anything wrong.”
Others, such as Maria Guadalupe Gomez, see this as an unnecessary hurdle, arguing that visa holders already go through vetting when they apply.
“Well, that’s wrong, right? The ones who cross clearly seem to be coming with good intentions because they bring their visa, and they already know they’re coming and going, so they don’t stay here,” Gomez said. “But maybe some do come for business or to work.”
Attorneys such as Karla Olivarez from McAllen are concerned about the scale of this announcement.
She stated it could instill fear since the government does not have to provide a specific reason when revoking a visa.
“Just recently, I had a student from UTRGV who came to my office and his student visa was revoked,” Olivarez explained. “We reviewed the letter, which didn’t really give any justification, so we were looking into his history to see if there was anything that he did that might have caused his visa to be revoked.”
In the end, they just found a traffic violation, but Olivarez believes any suspicion could be justified by the government.
In a statement, the State Department said that they revoke visas, “Any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organization.”
The State Department also stated that law enforcement and immigration records are part of its ongoing vetting process.
Olivarez says if a visa is revoked, people should stay calm and seek legal help. However, many times there is little that people can do.
“Consult with an immigration attorney to see if there is anything that can be done before you leave the country,” Olivarez advises.
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