The Trump administration will soon require the social media accounts of people applying for green cards, U.S. citizenship, and asylum or refugee status.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – the federal agency that oversees legal immigration, proposed the new policy in the Federal Register this week – calling this information “necessary for a rigorous vetting” of everyone applying for “immigration-related benefits.”
In the Federal Register announcement, USCIS said the proposed social media monitoring policy is necessary to comply with President Trump’s executive order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorist Attacks and Other Threats to National Security and Public Safety,” or “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats”, which was issued on the first day of his term.
This order requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies to “identify all resources that can be used to ensure that all aliens seeking admission to the United States, or who are already in the United States, are screened to the fullest extent possible.”
The public has until May 5 – 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register – to comment on the proposed policy.
According to the Federal Register announcement, USICS will begin requiring applicants for certain immigration benefits to list their social media aliases on application forms.
Among those who will be affected are individuals applying for green cards and naturalization, asylum seekers, refugees, and relatives of individuals who have been granted asylum or refugee status.
The proposed policy would affect over 3,5 million people, according to USCIS estimates.
George is still wondering what he is doing here….
