On a weekday morning in Chula Vista, California, Kyungjin Yu, a Korean mother, was taking her children to school when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moved in. In full view of her young children waiting inside the car, Yu was arrested for overstaying her visa.
The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed that she had entered the United States in 2015 on a valid visa, which expired in 2017. After missing an immigration court hearing, she was issued a final deportation order in 2022. She had no criminal record, though court filings during her divorce showed a temporary domestic violence restraining order requested by her ex-husband.
![Immigration agents arrested Kyungjin Yu, an immigrant from South Korea, because she overstayed her visa, Department of Homeland Security officials said. [Screen capture from KPBS]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/0825-newsletter-visapolicy.jpg)
Yu is now held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Community members and local officials have condemned ICE’s methods, saying that carrying out an arrest in front of children crosses a moral line. Critics argue that the trauma inflicted on her children was unnecessary for a case involving little more than an expired visa.
Yet this case illustrates a larger shift: U.S. immigration and visa enforcement under the current administration has become far stricter, and both visa holders and applicants now face unprecedented scrutiny.
The State Department recently revealed that more than 6,000 student visas were canceled this year alone. Officials cited violations ranging from overstaying legal limits to more serious offenses such as assault, drunk driving, robbery, and even support for terrorist groups.
According to government data, about 800 cancellations were linked to assault charges. Between 200 and 300 were tied to suspected support for Hamas and other organizations designated as terrorist groups. A senior official emphasized that all of the cancellations were based on legal violations or support for terrorism.
However, critics note that the government has not been transparent about whether many of these students were convicted of crimes or merely accused. Advocacy groups argue that the cancellations risk chilling freedom of expression, particularly among international students who now fear that social media posts or participation in demonstrations could threaten their legal status.
The tightening of visa policies now extends well beyond traditional background checks. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its policy manual to include anti-Americanism as a factor in visa and green card adjudications.
Under the new rules, officials may examine an applicant’s history of statements or activities deemed anti-American, anti-Semitic, or supportive of terrorism. While the agency has not defined clear criteria, officials have said that applicants’ social media accounts will be central to the review process.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul had already warned visa applicants that they must set their social media profiles to “public” and disclose account information. Failing to do so could result in denial. Immigration attorneys now advise clients to delete past posts that might be interpreted as political or controversial and to avoid expressing strong political views online while holding or seeking a visa.
The State Department is also conducting ongoing reviews of the more than 55 million foreign nationals currently holding U.S. visas. These checks are not one-time evaluations but continuous screenings that can lead to revocation or deportation if problems are uncovered.
Officials stated that reviews will cover entry and exit records, law enforcement data, and social media activity. Grounds for cancellation include overstaying, criminal behavior, threats to public safety, and support for terrorism.
The department has stressed that visa eligibility is not a permanent guarantee but is subject to review at any time. This means even those already living legally in the United States under a valid visa may face removal if new information surfaces.
The combination of Yu’s public arrest, thousands of student visa cancellations, new ideological screenings, and ongoing background checks underscores a clear message: U.S. visa policy has shifted toward constant vigilance.
For current visa holders, this means that any legal violation—no matter how minor—can have serious consequences for their status. Even without a criminal conviction, accusations of misconduct or participation in controversial activities may trigger a review. Social media content is now as important as official paperwork, and posts critical of U.S. policy or supportive of banned organizations may be enough to derail an application.
For new applicants, honesty and caution are essential. All required social media accounts must be disclosed, and immigration lawyers warn against hiding or withholding information. At the same time, individuals should be mindful of what they post online, understanding that their digital footprint may be scrutinized during the process.
The arrest of Kyungjin Yu in front of her children may have drawn public sympathy, but it also serves as a stark warning. U.S. immigration policy is now defined by stricter oversight, expanded definitions of eligibility, and a willingness to revoke visas even after issuance. For the millions of students, workers, and families relying on U.S. visas, vigilance and compliance are no longer optional—they are vital to staying in the country legally.
By Mooyoung Lee [lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com]
