USCIS To Review Social Media Accounts for Immigrants

According to a recent article on Forbes, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a policy to collect social media identifiers from applicants for immigration benefits. This initiative is part of Executive Order 14161, titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats," signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. The order mandates enhanced vetting and screening standards for all foreign nationals seeking entry into the U.S. or applying for immigration-related benefits. USCIS argues that collecting social media data will aid in identity verification and assessing potential security risks. The public has until May 5, 2025, to comment on this proposal.

US Immigration Service Wants To Review Applicants’ Social Media Accounts

While overseas US Consulates have been known to review social media use for overseas applicants looking to obtain visas, this seems to be a new initiative to more heavily scrutinize social media use of immigrant applicants inside the United States. Additionally, this new policy appears to apply to those seeking to naturalize as it covers all aliens seeking USCIS benefits.

While the government has broad discretion when dealing with applicants outside the United States, fundamental Constitutional protections such as the right to free speech are still extended even to those who may not have permanent status.

As such, it remains to be seen what sort of social media activity will be used to make immigration related decisions and otherwise protected speech can be used to adjudicate immigration benefits such as naturalization.