Overview
- 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.