US Immigration Agency Seeks to Screen Immigrants’ Social Media for Extremism

The aim is to collect social media handles and platform names to detect potential security threats and extremist affiliations.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent speaks to illegal immigrants in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. John Moore/Getty Images

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a new rule requiring immigrants to disclose their social media identifiers—or handles—for enhanced screening for reasons of public safety and national security.

The USCIS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on March 5, seeking to mandate the collection of social media handles and platform names from people seeking admission to the United States, as well as from applicants for immigration benefits such as green cards, asylum, and naturalization.

USCIS, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, says this collection is necessary for verifying identity and detecting potential security threats and extremist affiliations.

The agency has opened a 60-day public comment period to gather feedback on the proposal.

The move is in line with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order on enhanced immigration screening.

Trump’s order directs federal agencies to implement stricter vetting procedures, particularly for foreign nationals from countries deemed security risks. It calls for a uniform vetting baseline, heightened scrutiny of individuals from countries with identified security threats, and immediate action to exclude or remove foreign nationals found to pose a public safety risk. The order also mandates a review of existing immigration programs to ensure that they do not compromise U.S. security interests.

The bid to tighten border security follows years of what Trump has described as an “open borders” policy of his predecessor President Joe Biden, whose tenure saw record levels of illegal immigration.

On his first day in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders on border security and deportation, ending the so-called “catch and release” policies, shutting down the CBP One app, and pressuring Mexico to curb drug trafficking and tighten immigration enforcement. He also declared a border emergency, increased deportations, and ended birthright citizenship, although the last move has been blocked by the courts.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently reported that Border Patrol agents recorded just 8,326 apprehensions in February—the lowest monthly total on record. During the Biden administration, CBP reported as many as 300,000 apprehensions of illegal border crossers in a single month.

February was Trump’s first full month in office, and he credited his policies for the drop.

“Thanks to the Trump Administration Policies, the Border is closed to all Illegal Immigrants,” Trump wrote in a post on social media platform Truth Social on March 1. “Anyone who tries to illegally enter the U.S.A. will face significant criminal penalties and immediate deportation.”

Biden, former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and other officials in the Biden administration have repeatedly denied claims of an “open borders” policy, saying that their approach balanced enforcement with humanitarian protections.