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Original Date Announced
April 9, 2025USCIS will begin considering noncitizens’ “antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests,” including applications for lawful permanent resident status. Specifically, USCIS will consider social media content that indicates “endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or antisemitic activity” as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefits requests.
Trump 2.0 [ID #1673]
2025.04.09 USCIS - DHS to Begin Screening Social Media Activity for AntisemitismEffective Date
April 9, 2025Subsequent Trump and Court Action
August 19, 20252025.08.19 USCIS PA-2025-16 - Clarifying Discretionary Factors in Certain Immigration Benefit Requests
USCIS issued updated policy guidance for adjudicating immigration benefit requests. In particular, any connections to "anti-American" or "antisemitic" activities are assigned significant negative weight within the discretionary analysis.
View DocumentSubsequent Trump and Court Action
August 19, 20252025.08.19 USCIS - Policy Manual Chapter 8, Discretionary Analysis
USCIS updated its Policy Manual to add an additional factor to the list of "factors that may be considered" in adjudicating requests for immigration benefits. The factor includes "[w]hether the alien has endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused anti-American views or the views of a terrorist organization or group (including in social media content by, or involving an alien). This includes organizations who support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities, antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, antisemitic ideologies, or has engaged in physical harassment of any person in furtherance of the organization or group." USCIS states that anti-American views will be determined based on Immigration and Nationality Act § 313(a). The previous version of the Policy Manual did not include a bullet such as this in the list.
View DocumentSubsequent Trump and Court Action
September 9, 20252025.09.09 Reported: Top US immigration official defends rule targeting ‘anti-American’ views in green card, visa process - AP News
The Associated Press (AP) reports that USCIS Director Joseph Edlow defended the new rule targeting "anti-American" views, arguing that USCIS must consider applicants' online activity and hateful speech. He emphasized that speech would not automatically disqualify someone but factors into decisions. Edlow clarified that the rule is not aimed at anti-Trump opinions, but rather at the "espousing [of] the beliefs and the ideology of terrorist organizations and those who wish to destroy the American way of life." He gave examples such as students posting pro-Hamas content or protesting in ways that block Jewish students from entering buildings.
View DocumentSubsequent Trump and Court Action
September 11, 20252025.09.11 X post - DOS will take "appropriate action" regarding noncitizen comments on Charlie Kirk shooting
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that "foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors in our country" in response to social media users he said were "praising, rationalizing, or making light of" Charlie Kirk's death. He added that he had directed consular officers to "undertake appropriate action" against such individuals and invited users to flag offensive posts in the comments of his thread, which he said would be monitored by U.S. consular officials.
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: Agency DirectiveSubject Matter: Immigrant Visas Non-Immigrant Visas Asylum, Withholding and CAT U/T/VAWAAssociated or Derivative Policies
- March 5, 2025 USCIS proposes to collect social media identifiers on certain forms to enhance screening and vetting of applicants
- March 25, 2025 Reported: DOS directive instructs consular officers to review all student-visa applicants' social media for terrorism-related inadmissibility
- May 30, 2025 DOS orders enhanced vetting for all Harvard visa applicants
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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Commentary
2025.09.09 AP News - Top US immigration official defends rule targeting ‘anti-American’ views in green card, visa process
AP News reports Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, defends the agency's policy of "scrutiniz[ing] a person's 'anti-American' views" by arguing that it "isn’t designed to target political beliefs, but to identify support for terrorist activity." Critics question the policy for "giv[ing] officers too much leeway in rejecting foreigners based on a subjective judgment" as to whether an applicant "'endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused' anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views." Edlow asserted that the policy does not scrutinize "people who’ve posted anti-Trump speech," arguing that "criticism of any administration" was "one of the most American activities you can engage in."
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