The Trump administration is planning to further expand its crackdown on immigrant admissions into the United States by screening people seeking green cards and student visas for antisemitism.
On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will begin considering immigrants’ antisemitic posts on social media when approving requests for lawful permanent residence and visas for foreign students and individuals at educational institutions.
“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,” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement. “Secretary Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for antisemitic violence and terrorism — think again. You are not welcome here.”
The screening will begin immediately, according to the DHS, and will involve looking at comments made online and instances of physical harassment of Jewish individuals. Comments can include “endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity.”
Antisemitic comments will be grounds for refusing admission.
The announcement came more than a month after it was revealed the State Department reportedly used artificial intelligence to go after visa recipients already in the U.S. who expressed sympathy for Hamas and other terrorist groups.
Under a “catch and revoke” program that Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched, the Trump administration is scanning social media posts to identify noncitizens residing in the U.S. who are believed to support Hamas.
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The rollout came as the Trump administration moved to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and recent graduate of Columbia University who helped lead protests over Israel’s war in Gaza last year.
The AI program has raised First Amendment concerns, with free speech and Arab American groups viewing the Gaza focus as a slippery slope that could conflate pro-Palestinian sentiment with support for Hamas. However, the State Department argued that the U.S. would never have approved the visas if the views of certain activists were known.