Trump administration wants to monitor social networks of green card applicants – a threat to free speech?
President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed that green card applicants already legally residing in the US must share their social media accounts. This proposal was denounced in the initial public response as an attack on freedom of expression.
Visa applicants from abroad are already required to provide information about their social media accounts to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, the new policy would extend this requirement to those already in the U.S. and applying for permanent residency or asylum.USCIS has said that checking social media accounts is necessary for “enhanced identity verification, vetting, and national security screening.” The move is also intended to comply with Trump’s executive order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other Threats to National Security and Public Safety”.
The agency announced on March 5 that it is collecting public comments on the proposal until May 5. So far, responses have been overwhelmingly negative. Critics say the move could lead to restrictions on free speech and self-censorship among immigrants. “So is the U.S. now heading in an authoritarian direction?” commented an anonymous user. Another commented: “Fear of government surveillance of online speech will undoubtedly stifle free speech, which is especially troubling for people coming from countries with different political climates.”
Of the 143 comments, 29 concerned violations of freedom of expression. One critic wrote: “This proposal undermines the core values that make the United States a symbol of freedom, including freedom of speech, privacy, and human rights.”
The proposal comes shortly after the detention of green card holder Mahmoud Khalil, whom the Trump administration has labeled “pro-Hamas,” and the expulsion of Brown University physician Rasha Alawieh, who held an H-1B work visa. Border officials reportedly checked her phone and found that she had been following religious sermons by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and had attended his funeral in Lebanon.
Civil rights advocates warn that the policy could disproportionately affect critics of Israel and the U.S. approach to the Middle East conflict. Robert McCaw of the Council on American-Islamic Relations warned that “the move could disproportionately affect Muslim and Arab petitioners who have spoken publicly in support of Palestinian rights.”
McCaw also expressed concern that people could continue to be monitored on social media even after obtaining citizenship.
This proposal comes at a time when the IRS is reportedly in talks with ICE about the possibility of sharing confidential tax data to identify people who are in the country illegally. According to reports by the Washington Post, the agreement has raised concerns among IRS officials, who warn of potential abuses of the Privacy Act.
The Trump administration has stepped up its immigration crackdown in recent weeks, targeting not only mass deportations but also green card and visa holders.
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