The Trump administration plans to gather social media information about immigrants that will help law enforcement better detect extremist activities.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for green card approvals and other immigration benefits, proposes collecting social media information as part of the immigration application process. Every notification Submission by the Federal Register. (Related: Ice Nabs’ “High Rank” MS-13 Gangbanger is about 6 miles from the country’s capital)
“In a review of the information collected for admission and benefits decisions, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has identified the need to collect social media identifiers (the “handle”) and related social media platform names from applicants to provide information on identity verification, national security and public safety screenings, and related testing,” USCIS said.
The agency has a directive Presidential Order On January 20th, President Donald Trump signed the act. President Donald Trump called for a strict collection of background information during the examination of immigration applicants.
NEW YORK, NY – May 15: Newly arriving asylum seekers will wait in the holding area of the Port Authority’s bus terminal before being sent to an area shelter or hotel in New York City on May 15, 2023. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The order directs federal agencies to conduct an enhanced review and screening of all foreigners seeking to enter the United States or already exist, particularly those seeking immigration from countries with identified security risks.
“It is US policy to protect citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten national security, support hate ideology, and exploit immigration laws for malicious purposes,” the order states.
If foreign governments fail or refuse to share sufficient information, or if other risk factors are identified, the Trump administration could limit those seeking entry into the United States and eliminate people already within the country.
Foreigners sympathetic to the cause of terrorists have a history of making extremist statements online.
The FBI arrested Abdullah Ezeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, an Egyptian citizen living in northern Virginia, in December as it allegedly runs multiple online accounts that praised al-Qaeda and ISIS. By the time of Hassan’s arrest, he was allegedly planning a “massive casualty” attack on the Israeli consulate in New York City, and had advised FBI sources on how to make a martian video.
In October, the FBI arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawedi, an Afghan national who was accused of plotting an Election Day terrorist attack on US authorities.
The Trump administration has taken many other steps to strengthen immigration enforcement, including the deployment of troops at the US-Mexico border and the reopening of border wall construction. The White House also marshals the resources of virtually every other federal agency to help immigrants and customs enforcement agencies identify and arrest illegal criminal immigrants across the country.
The public has 60 days to comment on the USCIS plan to gather social media information about immigrants.
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