State Department

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In Blistering Ruling, Judge Slams Trump, Deportations

President has a 'palpable misunderstanding' of free speech, writes Reagan appointee

(Newser) - A federal judge lit into President Trump and his administration's efforts to arrest and deport international students protesting on behalf of Palestinians in extraordinary fashion on Tuesday:
  • US District Judge William Young in Boston called the crackdown illegal, describing it as a "truly scandalous and unconstitutional suppression
...

US to Pull Visa for President Who Told Troops to Defy Trump

Colombian leader Gustavo Petro attended a protest while in New York for UN meeting

(Newser) - The State Department has announced it's revoking Colombian President Gustavo Petro's visa after he participated in a New York protest where he called on American soldiers to disobey President Trump's orders. In a social media post, the department said it was pulling Petro's visa "due...

Iran Diplomats' Costco Rights Get a Hard Check From the Feds

US bars Iranian envoys from shopping at wholesale stores without permission

(Newser) - The Trump administration has barred Iranian diplomats based in or visiting New York from shopping at wholesale club stores like Costco and purchasing luxury goods in the United States without specific permission from the State Department. "We will not allow the Iranian regime to allow its clerical elites to...

US Incinerates $10M in Birth Control

International offers to buy or donate contraceptives were rejected by US

(Newser) - Nearly $10 million in contraceptives —including birth control pills, intrauterine devices, and hormonal implants—were destroyed on orders of Trump administration officials, according to the US Agency for International Development. The products, purchased before USAID's recent dismantling, had been stored in a Belgian warehouse for months after...

US to Immigrants: Don't Mock Charlie Kirk

State Department warns those praising or 'making light' of the assassination

(Newser) - The State Department warned Tuesday that it won't tolerate any immigrants who mock the death of conservative leader Charlie Kirk online, reports Axios . And it is encouraging people to report any such comments. The directive came in a tweet from Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau:
  • "In light
...

Trump Administration Halts Nearly All Visas for Palestinians

This comes as some Palestinians have been receiving medical care in the US

(Newser) - The US has halted nearly all visitor visas for Palestinian passport holders, a sweeping move that effectively bars thousands from entering the country for education, business, or medical care. The policy, detailed in an Aug. 18 State Department cable, goes beyond the recent freeze on visas for Gazans and...

US to Sell Ukraine Arms Totaling $825M

State Department announces deal for extended-range missiles

(Newser) - The Trump administration has approved a $825 million arms sale to Ukraine that will include extended-range missiles and related equipment to boost its defensive capabilities as US efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia appear stalled. The State Department announced Thursday that it had notified Congress of the sale...

All 55M Foreign Visa Holders Will Now Be Scrutinized

Visa holders face new social media checks and possible revocations under Trump administration

(Newser) - The Trump administration is rolling out a sweeping plan to re-examine all 55 million active US visa holders, broadening its crackdown on both illegal and legal immigration, the Washington Post reports. According to a State Department statement, the new "continuous vetting" process will allow officials to revoke visas...

Some US Visa Applicants May Need to Post $15K Bond

State Department is proposing a new plan

(Newser) - The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many, the AP reports. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on...

US to Incinerate $9.7M of Its Own Aid Contraceptives

Belgian warehouse holds millions in unused family planning supplies that were to be sent overseas

(Newser) - The Trump administration plans to destroy roughly $9.7 million worth of US-funded contraceptives, currently sitting in a Belgian warehouse, after labeling some of them as "abortifacients" under rules reinstated when President Trump returned to office. The stockpile—intended for international aid—includes more than 50,000 IUDs,...

Trump Administration Targets Harvard Again

State Department launches investigation into use of international visas

(Newser) - The State Department has launched an investigation into Harvard's handling of international visas, marking the third major federal action directed at the institution since it resumed talks with the Trump administration, per the New York Times . Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Harvard President Alan M. Garber of...

China Bars 2 US Citizens From Leaving Country

Commerce Department employee was questioned about his military service

(Newser) - Two American citizens—a US Department of Commerce employee and a Wells Fargo banker—have been barred from leaving China, highlighting rising tensions and mounting risks for foreigners as Washington and Beijing edge toward a critical trade deadline. The State Department says a US Patent and Trademark Office employee...

Mass Layoffs Loom at the State Department
Major Layoffs Begin
at the State Department
UPDATED
Jul 11, 2025 6:28 AM CDT

Major Layoffs Begin at the State Department

Trump administration sending out 1.3K layoff notices after Supreme Court ruling

(Newser) - The State Department will start firing employees Friday as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to trim government ranks, reports the AP . The outlet says the first 1,300 or so layoff notices were going out, including to 1,107 civil servants and 250 foreign service...

Bush, Obama, Bono Slam Trump's Gutting of USAID

'Colossal mistake,' Obama said in private videoconference bidding farewell to agency staff

(Newser) - Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush delivered rare open criticism of the Trump administration—and singer Bono recited a poem—in an emotional video farewell Monday with staffers at the US Agency for International Development. Monday was the last day as an independent agency for the six-decade-old humanitarian...

Student Visa Applicants Must Unlock Social Media Accounts

State Department says it has lifted suspension of visa processing

(Newser) - The State Department said Wednesday that it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but that all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review. The department said consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that...

Trump Looks to Quadruple Nations Under Travel Ban

Administration tells 36 countries to meet new requirements—or else

(Newser) - The Trump administration is considering adding another 36 countries to the new travel ban , a potential move that would quadruple the number of countries initially named. An internal State Department memo reviewed by the Washington Post and Reuters shows 36 countries have been given a 60-day deadline to conform with...

Fulbright Board 'Overwhelmingly' Votes to Resign

Board cites State Department interference with 2025-2026 awards process

(Newser) - The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned en masse Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of interfering with its authority to hand out scholarships and undermining the program's core mission. All 12 members, who CNBC reports were appointed under President Biden, "voted overwhelmingly to resign," per a statement...

Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump's Latest Move Against Harvard

School files a legal challenge, and judge issues temporary restraining order

(Newser) - Harvard is fighting the Trump administration's latest attempt to block it from enrolling international students, filing a legal challenge to President Trump's order Thursday, the AP reports. The university claims the order is illegal retaliation against the school because it has refused to comply with White House demands,...

Critics Decry 'Outrageous' New Office at State Dept.

Detractors say proposed 'Office of Remigration' has the ultimate goal of ethnic cleansing

(Newser) - The State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio is undergoing a major reorg , and out of that dust has emerged an apparent new subdivision: the "Office of Remigration," which an agency official says will fall under the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, per Axios . The new office, first...

Feds Warn US Citizens: Get Out of Venezuela Now

Citizens face detention risks as embassy services unavailable, per State Department

(Newser) - American travelers are being urged to immediately leave Venezuela and keep away. The US State Department has renewed its warning against travel to the country, citing "severe risks" for American citizens. The updated advisory, released Tuesday, points to dangers including wrongful detention, kidnapping, torture, and a lack of...

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