The Trump administration’s new regulations will affect millions of foreign nationals seeking citizenship and green cards.
The White House has said that it will mandate social media information on immigration applications for millions of immigrants pursuing benefits ranging from green cards to citizenship in an attempt to improve screening procedures.
In order to comply with Executive Order 14161, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” which President Trump signed on January 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced plans to collect social media identifiers (also known as “handles”) on nine immigration forms in a notice published in the Federal Register on March 5, 2025.
The notice states that in order to confirm applicants’ identities and determine whether awarding immigration benefits could present security or public safety threats, USCIS will gather social media handles (but not passwords).
USCIS Social Media Surveillance: Ten Years of Growing Monitoring
USCIS officers have been monitoring social media accounts for years in an effort to detect immigration fraud in a variety of application types, including family-based petitions, employment visas, and naturalization applications.
A distinct evolution may be seen in the formal history of USCIS social media monitoring:
The formal history of USCIS social media monitoring shows a clear evolution:
- 2016: USCIS established a dedicated Social Media Division within its Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS), marking the beginning of institutionalized social media vetting.
- 2017: The Trump administration implemented “extreme vetting” procedures in March, intensifying the scrutiny of visa applications, including more thorough examination of applicants’ social media. In September, DHS issued a Federal Register notice indicating it would collect and keep information from social media on all individuals passing through the U.S. immigration system.
- 2019: The Department of State began requiring all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles as part of forms DS-160 (Nonimmigrant Visa Application) and DS-260 (Immigrant Visa Electronic Application).
- 2021: The scope of monitored platforms expanded to include not only major U.S.-based social media platforms but also international platforms from China and Russia.
- 2025: With the latest Executive Order 14161 signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, USCIS is now formalizing and expanding social media data collection to nine different immigration forms.
Social Media Monitoring and Immigration Applications
USCIS officers and consular officials often use social media to confirm the legitimacy of relationships and claims made in applications. This can include checking the consistency between online activity and information provided in forms and searching for any content that might contradict statements made during the application process.
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