U.S. pauses visa appointments worldwide amid Trump's immigration crackdown: Report

President Donald Trump’s administration has paused visa appointments worldwide amid an ongoing immigration crackdown. The U.S. State Department announced a global training initiative at embassies and consulates to adjust visa services, focusing on screening applicants for potential public benefit dependency and ensuring consistent evaluations. This crackdown includes revoking visas, green cards, and rejecting applications based on political opinions or pro-Palestinian protests. Trump claims the measures improve domestic security but faces legal challenges, such as a judge striking down a policy suspending visas for 75 countries. Human rights groups criticize the crackdown as discriminatory and violating free speech and due process rights. They also allege it creates unsafe conditions, particularly for ethnic minorities. The administration has also made legal immigration more restrictive, such as imposing new fees for certain work visas.