USCIS expands social media screening for visa applicants amid anti-Israel campus protests
By ramontomeydw // 2025-04-11
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  • USCIS has intensified scrutiny of social media activity for visa applicants, targeting ties to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah under a Trump executive order.
  • Hundreds of visas, primarily for students, have been canceled – sparking protests and lawsuits over free speech and due process concerns.
  • Officials defend the policy, stating the U.S. will not admit individuals supporting terrorism, citing First Amendment limits for antisemitic or violent rhetoric.
  • Examples include revoked visas for students like Momodou Taal (Cornell) and Rumeysa Ozturk (Tufts) over controversial social media posts or op-eds on Gaza.
  • Critics question whether the policy prioritizes national security or ideological suppression, as courts temporarily block deportations (e.g., Columbia's Mahmoud Khalil).
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has intensified its screening of social media activity for foreign nationals applying for student visas and permanent residency, targeting individuals linked to organizations accused of antisemitic violence. The policy enacted under an executive order (EO) signed by President Donald Trump in January has already led to the revocation of hundreds of visas. It has also sparked protests from activist groups and legal challenges from affected students. The move nevertheless reflects the second Trump administration's broader crackdown on pro-Palestine activism on college campuses, raising concerns over free speech and due process. Under the new framework, USCIS now examines applicants' online histories for endorsements of groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis (formally the Ansar Allah movement) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, the new policy lines up with Trump's January EO. She defended the new measure, arguing that visa applicants supporting terrorism "are not welcome" in the United States. "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," McLauglin remarked. Quoting a remark made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, she emphasized that "anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for antisemitic violence and terrorism" ought to "think again."

When free speech clashes with national security

The new policy by USCIS comes amid incidents of students being targeted by the U.S. government for speaking out against Israel's genocide of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A federal court order temporarily halted the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student from Columbia University. In another case, Anglo-Gambian student Momodou Taal found his visa revoked after calling for the "destruction" of the "U.S. empire" on social media. Taal, a former student at Cornell University, challenged the revocation of his visa in court. His appeal was denied, however, and Taal self-deported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier pointed out that under Trump's January EO, the administration has canceled at least 300 student visas. He put forward this claim during a March 27 press conference in Guyana, located in South America. (Related: Rubio: State Department has REVOKED over 300 visas of foreign students.) "If you want to participate in movements that vandalize universities, harass students or take over buildings, we're not going to give you a visa," Rubio argued. "We gave you a visa to study, not to tear up campuses." The secretary of state's answer came in response to a Reuters reporter, who asked Rubio to explain why the Department of State revoked the visa of Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk. The Tufts University student found her visa canceled after writing an op-ed about the "Gaza war" – something Rubio confirmed during the press conference. Given the fiasco about the USCIS' new policy, one question remains: Where does national security end and ideological suppression begin? For now, the Trump administration remains firm in its stance. Head over to FirstAmendment.news for more similar stories. Watch this Fox News report about protesters supporting Mahmoud Khalil being arrested by law enforcement. This video is from the TREASURE OF THE SUN channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Constitutional CRISIS: Legal resident detained without charge, accused of "antisemitism" for speaking against Israel's actions in Gaza. Trump Administration targets pro-Palestine activist for DEPORTATION, citing "foreign policy threat" in free speech crackdown. Arrest of a Columbia University graduate participating in campus protests against Israel ignites widespread outrage online. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com TheBlaze.com 1 TheBlaze.com 2 Brighteon.com
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