Trump’s Built an Invisible Border Wall. It’s Costing All of Us.

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Much has been written about building a southern border wall to stop immigration. But while the fight over black paint^[2], bricks, and steel has dominated headlines, another wall—larger, quieter, and potentially far more damaging—is already rising. This one is invisible. It’s made of visa denials, delays, and mounting barriers that keep students, workers, tourists, and families from reaching the U.S.

Unlike a wall in Texas or Arizona, this new wall stretches across the globe. And it threatens to isolate America in ways we can ill afford.

Consider the numbers. In fiscal year 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered over 2 million people^[3] at the southern border. By contrast, the State Department issued almost 11 million temporary visas^[4] and hundreds of thousands of green cards during the same time. Many of those people need a visa to enter the U.S. But foreigners are facing a combination of expanded interview requirements, longer wait times, social media vetting, and higher costs to come to the U.S.

Starting this month, the State Department is sharply limiting waivers^[5] of visa interviews. Until now, many people did not have to have a visa interview, especially if they were renewing their visa. Although requiring a visa interview sounds innocuous, it will supercharge already crushing wait times.

U.S. consulates are grappling with reduced staffing and increased workload^[6], leading to systemic bottlenecks. For example, it currently takes 11 months^[7] to get a tourist visa at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The next available tourist visa appointment in Abu Dhabi is in 18 months. And visa wait times in India^[8] can exceed a year. For employers who need to hire quickly, this is a deal-breaker.

The hurdles don’t stop there. The State Department is reviewing^[9] more than 55 million people who have U.S. visas for any violations that might lead to deportation. That will result in more visa delays, denials, and revocations. Indeed, the department has stated^[10] that it has revoked more than twice as many visas since the end of January as during the same time period the previous year.

The State Department has also expanded social media vetting^[11] of all international student visa applicants to see if they have “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S. The predictable result: a projected 30 to 40 percent plunge^[12] in new international student arrivals this fall. That’s a loss not just for universities—it means $7 billion less in revenue for the U.S. and 60,000 jobs wiped out.

Congress has piled on by recently adding a $250 “visa integrity^[13]” fee on top of the $185 visa application cost, making U.S. visas among the most expensive in the world. The U.S. Travel Association projects that the integrity fee could cost the U.S. economy^[14] $11 billion over three years, including $9.4 billion in lost visitor spending and $1.3 billion in lost tax revenue. That comes on top of a pilot program imposing^[15] visa bonds as high as $15,000 for visitors from some countries with high overstay rates.

Meanwhile, a sweeping travel ban^[16] now restricts or blocks nationals from 19 countries. In 2022 nearly 300,000 people from those countries arrived in the U.S. According to a report^[17] by the American Immigration Council, those new arrivals made significant contributions to the U.S. economy. In 2023 alone, households led by those recent arrivals “earned $3.2 billion in income, paid $715.6 million in combined federal, state and local taxes, and held $2.5 billion in spending power.”

Media reports suggest^[19] that the administration is weighing imposing restrictions on 36 additional countries. That hasn’t happened yet, but if it does, expanding the bans would choke off even more economic activity.

The damage is already showing. According to one report^[24], U.S. consulates issued 16 percent fewer temporary visas and 20 percent fewer green cards in May 2025 than in May 2024. Over 300,000 fewer overseas visitors came to the U.S. during the first seven months of 2025 compared with the same time period in 2024. The World Travel and Tourism Council projects that international visitor spending in the U.S. will plunge 22 percent^[25] this year—a staggering $12.5 billion loss. Among 184 countries studied, the U.S. is the only one expected to see a decline.

The administration defends these measures as necessary for national security. But treating every visitor as a threat keeps out not just terrorists. It keeps out talent. It keeps out paying students. It keeps out families who want to reunite. And it keeps out the millions of ordinary travelers whose spending supports American jobs from Miami to Seattle.

America has prospered for centuries not by walling itself off but by attracting people who bring energy, ideas, and investment. If we continue down this path of suspicion and obstruction, we risk turning the U.S. into a country that fewer and fewer people want to visit, let alone build a future in.

We don’t need another border wall, visible or invisible. We need a visa system that keeps America open, competitive, and connected to the world. Right now we’re shooting ourselves in the foot.

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