Sometimes I think this whole world is one big prison yard some of us are prisoners the rest of us are guards (social media surveillance)

For several years the United States Department of State has been requesting social media information of non-immigrant and immigrant visa applicants.  However, now USCIS wants to expand its social media surveillance, by obtaining the social media handles for those lawfully present in the United States who are applying for various benefits including asylum, green cards, and U.S. citizenship.

The basis for this increased scrutiny is the executive order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”  The administration asserts that the purpose of requesting this information is, in part, to provide “uniform vetting standards” and to identify possible national security threats.

However, given that this administration’s definition of a national security threat is so broad that it includes a journalist criticizing the current U.S. president or a student liking or sharing a social media post the government has deemed inappropriate, USCIS gaining access to additional social media information of potential applicants appears to be yet another way that this administration seeks to limit lawful immigration into this country.

The title of this post comes from the 1971 Bob Dylan song "George Jackson." The song was never released on a studio album and is about Black Panther leader, George Jackson's murder by prison guards at San Quentin Prison during an attempted escape in 1971, which is said to have been a catalyst to the Attica Prison riot.

If you have any concerns about this or any of the new policies, please call the attorney at (714) 605-4393 or send an email to info@monilaw.com.