USCIS Proposes Mandatory Social Media Disclosure for Immigration Applications

The policy would affect over 3.5 million applicants seeking green cards, citizenship, or asylum, citing national security concerns under a Trump executive order.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed requiring social media handles on immigration applications, including for green cards, naturalization, and asylum.
The agency claims this measure is necessary for identity verification, national security, and public safety, aligning with a Trump administration executive order on enhanced immigrant vetting.
An estimated 3.5 million applicants annually would be impacted, potentially adding nearly 286,000 hours of workload for USCIS staff but with no additional public costs, according to the agency.
Critics, including civil rights advocates, warn the policy could suppress free speech, lead to misinterpretation of online activity, and discourage immigrants from sharing opinions online.
The policy is open for public comment until May 5, with concerns raised about its implications for privacy, freedom of expression, and the criteria used for evaluating social media activity.