The Trump administration has proposed a new policy that would require green card applicants already living legally in the United States to submit their social media profiles for review. Previously, only visa applicants from outside the country had to provide this information.
Now, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) wants to expand this requirement to people applying for permanent residency and asylum seekers already inside the U.S.
USCIS says this step is necessary for national security reasons. According to the agency, reviewing social media activity will help verify identities and detect potential security threats. The policy is tied to an executive order titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
Government officials claim that by monitoring social media, they can prevent individuals with ties to dangerous organizations from gaining permanent status in the country. They argue that social media vetting is already a part of the screening process for people entering the U.S. and should also apply to those applying from within.
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Critics Fear Suppression of Free Speech
The proposal has sparked backlash from civil rights groups and many members of the public, who argue that it is a violation of free speech and privacy rights. Critics say this policy could discourage immigrants from expressing their opinions online out of fear that their posts could be misinterpreted and used against them.
Many worry that this would disproportionately affect people from certain religious and ethnic backgrounds, particularly those who have voiced concerns about U.S. foreign policies. Some fear that even liking or sharing posts critical of the U.S. government or its allies could lead to their applications being denied.
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Out of 143 public comments submitted about the proposal, at least 29 explicitly mentioned concerns about free speech violations. One comment stated, “The fear of government scrutiny of online expression will undoubtedly stifle free speech.” Others have argued that social media posts can be easily misinterpreted, taken out of context, or weaponized against applicants unfairly.
Some human rights advocates also worry that the policy could lead to continuous surveillance, even after applicants become U.S. citizens. If social media activity is closely monitored during the green card process, it raises questions about whether the government will continue tracking immigrants’ online behavior in the future.
Growing Crackdown on Immigration
This proposal comes amid a broader crackdown on immigrants, including permanent residents and visa holders. Recently, cases have surfaced where green card holders and visa holders were detained or deported after their social media activity was examined by immigration authorities.
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Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, was detained after being labeled “pro-Hamas” by the Trump administration. Similarly, Rasha Alawieh, a Brown University doctor and H1-B visa holder, was deported after U.S. officials reviewed her phone and claimed she followed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s religious teachings. They also said she had “openly admitted” attending his funeral while in Lebanon.
Additionally, Fabian Schmidt, a German electrical engineer and green card holder since 2008, was arrested and detained at Boston Logan International Airport. Another case involved a Milwaukee mother who was a permanent U.S. resident but was deported to Laos, a country she had never been to, after agreeing to a plea deal over cannabis charges.
Reports also suggest that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is close to an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would allow ICE to use confidential tax data to track down undocumented immigrants. Some IRS officials have warned that this move could lead to misuse of private financial information.
As the Trump administration continues to tighten immigration policies, many are worried about the long-term effects on personal freedoms, particularly the right to express opinions online without fear of government retaliation.
