A U.S. State Department employee responsible for reviewing visa applications has been fired after he admitted on hidden camera that he helped illegal immigrants evade deportation and expressed anti-American sentiment.
Visa specialist Arslan Akhtar is no longer working for the State Department following a June 18 undercover investigation by O’Keefe Media Group (OMG), according to a statement on Friday.
“This is just the beginning,” the State Department wrote on X. “These radicals with anti-American views have been embedded in our executive branch for generations and we are systematically cleaning out contractors that have allowed this. Let us be clear: If you have these views and you work in or with the State Department, we will find you.”
The warning comes after Akhtar was caught on hidden camera telling an OMG reporter that maintaining silence is the best way to keep from being deported.
His comments come amid President Donald Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the country.
“I do say it to cab drivers that are from, like, Hispanic descent, I’m like, ‘don’t talk to the police.’ Don’t admit the truth. If you want a loophole, keep your mouth shut,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar said in the video that his work with the State Department involves visa adjudications such as issuances and refusals.
He also expressed hatred toward Americans, Jews, and other ethnic groups, according to the video published online.
He also expressed his hatred for tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, wishing he were dragged and lynched in what he described as a “healthy dose of public justice.” Musk led Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, which was tasked with targeting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.
NTD reached out to the State Department for comment but did not receive a response by publication. NTD was unable to contact Akhtar and was unable to determine if he has a legal representative.
Following the undercover investigation, the State Department, in a statement to O’Keefe Media, said it would launch a new vetting process for employees going forward, stressing the importance of protecting the integrity of the country’s immigration system.
Candidates for employees at the State Department are subject to background security investigations and clearance. Generally, employees must also be a U.S. citizen.
It’s unclear what the new vetting process entails or when it will be enforced.
The State Department’s announcement to tighten its staff vetting rules marks the latest changes under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio announced earlier this year a department-wide reorganization, saying it was too “bloated” and “bureaucratic” and should be revamped in order to deliver on Trump’s America First foreign policy.
From NTD News
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