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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump\u2019s \u200cadministration has issued a pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants around the world during an ongoing immigration crackdown by the U.S. government in the Republican leader\u2019s second term in the White House.<\/strong><\/p>\n A U.S. State \u200bDepartment spokesperson said on Tuesday that it launched a global training initiative at \u200ball U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and that appointments for visa services \u2060will be adjusted to accommodate the training.<\/p>\n Trump has pursued an aggressive deportation drive and immigration \u200bcrackdown that includes revocations of visas and green cards and rejection of applications over a \u200brange of reasons like political opinions and pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel\u2019s assault on Gaza.<\/p>\n He says the crackdown aims to improve domestic security.<\/p>\n The crackdown has faced some legal setbacks. A U.S. judge on Friday struck down a Trump \u200badministration policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries, saying that the \u200bpolicy exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio\u2019s statutory authority.<\/p>\n The State Department did not specify details on the \u200ctraining \u2060and its timeline, beyond saying the training aimed to help consular officers screen out applicants deemed likely to become dependent on U.S. public benefits and to ensure evaluation of visa applicants \u201ccomprehensively and consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n The pause on visa appointments was reported earlier by the Financial Times, which said \u200bimmigrant visa applicants with \u200bscheduled interviews at \u2060U.S. embassies and consulates have received emails that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive future notice of a new \u200bdate.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown has been widely condemned by human rights groups \u200bas being \u2060discriminatory and in violation of free speech and due process rights. Rights groups also say the crackdown has created an unsafe environment in the U.S., especially for ethnic minorities who have raised \u2060concerns \u200babout racial profiling.<\/p>\n And, as of now, there\u2019s no change to how people are going to vote or the ability to vote by mail in November\u2019s election.<\/p>\n While Trump campaigned in 2024 on a platform \u200bof stopping illegal immigration, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult \u2013 for example, by imposing new and expensive \u200bfees for applicants of certain work visas.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n