The U.S. government announced Wednesday it will begin screening immigrants’ and visa applicants’ social media accounts for what it describes as antisemitic content—a move that has sparked swift backlash from civil rights advocates, including Jewish organizations, who warn of free speech violations and discriminatory surveillance.
Under a directive from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, the agency will now consider online antisemitic activity and any physical harassment of Jewish individuals as potential grounds to deny immigration benefits.
The policy will impact applicants seeking lawful permanent residence, student visas, and those linked to institutions associated with alleged antisemitic conduct. “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers,” the agency said in a statement.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump’s administration escalates its crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations following Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023. Officials have frequently framed criticism of Israel as antisemitic or aligned with militant groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—all designated terrorist organizations by Washington.
The administration has already begun revoking student visas, initiating deportations, and pressuring universities with threats of federal funding cuts over campus protests supporting Palestinian rights.
Critics argue that the government is conflating political dissent with hate speech and using immigration enforcement as a tool to silence opposition. Jewish-led protest groups have joined broader coalitions in condemning the policy, saying their critiques of Israeli policy are rooted in human rights advocacy, not antisemitism.
“This is censorship, plain and simple,” said the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a prominent free speech organization. “By surveilling visa and green card holders based solely on their constitutionally protected expression, the administration is abandoning America’s tradition of open discourse.”
The Nexus Project, a group dedicated to combating antisemitism, also criticized the move, stating that it wrongly frames antisemitism as a problem imported by immigrants. “Fighting antisemitism must not come at the cost of civil liberties or by targeting vulnerable populations,” the group said.
Legal experts and immigrant advocacy organizations are now calling for oversight and potential legal challenges, warning that the new policy risks creating a chilling effect on political expression and unfairly targeting specific communities.
