The Trump administration on Wednesday announced it will begin screening the social media activity of immigrants and visa applicants for what it calls antisemitic behaviour, a move that has drawn swift criticism from rights advocates, including Jewish groups, over concerns related to free speech and surveillance. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it will now consider "antisemitic activity" on social media, as well as physical harassment of Jewish individuals, as grounds for denying immigration benefits. “Today US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests,” the agency, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. The measure will apply to individuals seeking lawful permanent resident status, foreign students, and people affiliated with educational institutions “linked to antisemitic activity.” “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathisers,” the agency added. Crackdown amid Israel-Gaza conflict The announcement comes in the context of the Trump administration’s broader effort to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests in the US, sparked by Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. The escalation followed a deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023. The administration has frequently labelled pro-Palestinian demonstrators as antisemitic or sympathetic to groups that Washington classifies as terrorist organisations—such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi rebels. In recent weeks, authorities have attempted to deport some foreign students, revoked multiple visas, and warned universities of potential cuts in federal funding over pro-Palestinian protest activity. Rights advocates condemn the move Civil rights and free speech organisations have condemned the new policy, calling it an attack on constitutionally protected expression that unfairly targets immigrants and dissenters. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a prominent free speech advocacy group, accused the administration of “formalising censorship practices.” “By surveilling visa and green card holders and targeting them based on nothing more than their protected expression, the administration trades America’s commitment to free and open discourse for fear and silence,” FIRE said. The Nexus Project, which combats antisemitism, echoed those concerns, accusing the administration of “going after immigrants in the name of tackling antisemitism” and framing the issue as an imported threat. No clarity on definition of antisemitism The new USCIS guidance does not define what constitutes “antisemitic activity” nor does it name any specific institutions that might be affected. The agency has not responded to media requests seeking clarification. This follows a March proposal from the Department of Homeland Security to collect social media handles from those applying for benefits such as green cards or citizenship. That proposal, open to public feedback until May 5, has also drawn criticism for expanding government surveillance powers. Although social media monitoring has been a part of immigration screening since at least the Obama administration, Trump’s policy significantly expands its reach to individuals already residing legally in the US. USCIS said it will treat online content that “endorses, espouses, promotes, or supports antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organisations, or other antisemitic activity” as a negative factor when assessing immigration benefits. Groups named in the policy include Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Rights groups have also voiced concern over Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. (With inputs from Reuters, AP)
