Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday ordered more scrutiny of the social-media profiles of any foreigners seeking to visit Harvard University, telling US consular officers that applicants’ lack of an online presence might be enough evidence to deny a visa.

The US State Department has instructed US embassies and consulates around the world to pause new student visa appointments as it develops guidance to expand “social media screening and vetting” to all applicants for student visas,

Rubio's cable, sent to embassies worldwide, marked the latest salvo by the Trump administration against Harvard, the foreign students who go there and elite universities more broadly