US to screen immigrants’ social media for ‘antisemitic’ activity

WASHINGTON

The US will begin screening social media activity of immigrants for “antisemitic” content as part of a new policy that could lead to visa or residency denials, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Wednesday.

Effective immediately, the screenings will apply to individuals applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and those affiliated with educational institutions that US authorities say are linked to alleged antisemitic activity.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the measure is to bolster national security and combat a growing threat from individuals who support “antisemitic” violence or “terrorist organizations”.

“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin in a statement.

“Sec. (Kristi) Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here.”

The department identified groups including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis as “antisemitic” terror organizations. Activity supporting those groups may trigger immigration consequences, it said.

The move follows a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, including one aimed at combating antisemitism, which laid the groundwork for deporting foreign students engaged in pro-Palestinian campus protests.

It also comes amid a wider crackdown by the Trump administration on pro-Palestinian students and academics, including the recent detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University and Fulbright scholar, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and recent Columbia University graduate.

Rights groups and legal advocates said the actions violate First Amendment protections, arguing that the administration is targeting individuals for their political speech.