The State Department under Trump has pushed for better screening of foreigners’ social media accounts.
By Catholics for Catholics
Facebook. Instagram. Tik Tok.
Foreign visitors may soon be made to show their social media history before they can go into the United States, according to a proposal by the Trump Administration.
According to a story published by The Daily Wire, the proposal from U.S. Customs and Border Protection would compel tourists entering the United States on the Visa Waiver Program to show the last five years of their social media activity to the U.S. government. Border Patrol said the prerequisite would be in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
One current pressing issue will be the upcoming World Cup of Soccer, which will take place in 2026, partly in the United States. The event is the biggest sports tournament in the world.
The Trump administration’s decision to augment supervision on people coming into the United States comes as the nation prepares for the World Cup, which could bring over one million international visitors to the United States. Some immigration lawyers and people in the travel industry have pushed back on the Trump administration’s new requirements for foreign visitors.
The Border Patrol proposal is open to public comment for 60 days.
The current Visa Waiver Program, which permits foreigners to enter the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa, is open to people who qualify from dozens of countries.
The Visa Waiver program includes many European countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. It also includes Qatar, Australia and Israel. The current system only makes foreign visitors pay $40 and provide an email address, home address, phone number, and emergency contact information.
In April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed diplomats to investigate the social media feeds of student visa applicants. Rubio has especially targeted foreign students suspected of supporting terrorist organizations such as Hamas. In addition, the State Department under Trump has pushed for more vetting of foreigners’ social media accounts
Under the Trump administration’s proposal, foreign visitors would also be obliged to show the names of close family members and the phone numbers of family members used in the last five years. The program would also require foreigners to provide information from what it refers to as “high value data fields,” such as phone numbers they have used over the past five years and email addresses they have used over the past 10 years.
“Coming to the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right,” Rubio said in March. “The Trump Administration is determined to deny or revoke your visa if you’re here to support terrorists.”
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