http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/352421-dhs-planning-to-collect-social-media-info-on-all-immigrants
A friend of mine whose adopted daughter was born in China let me know about this.
Welcome to the U.S… U.S.S.R.
"The Department of Homeland Security has moved to collect social media information on all immigrants, including permanent residents and naturalized citizens. "
"In May, the Trump administration approved a new questionnaire for visa applicants that requests social media handles for the past five years, as well as biographical information going back 15 years.
The rule filed last week, however, goes beyond would-be visitors to the U.S. and would also apply to those who have already obtained a green card or gone through the naturalization process. "
Wow! Is this legal?
It looks like a proposal so far… reading the C.F.R. on my iPhone is a pita!!!
“(5) expand the categories of records to include the following: country of nationality; country of residence; the USCIS Online Account Number; social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results; and the Department of Justice (DOJ), Executive Office for Immigration Review and Board of Immigration Appeals proceedings information;”
How long ago naturalized? It could involve a heck of a lot of people. And why not their children, significant others, et al? Besides, I thought they were already able to monitor if we sneeze in the wrong direction. Or so we’ve been told by various conspiracy-minded souls…
Constitutionally, and take my words with a grain of salt, as I am not a lawyer, to treat one class of citizens differently from the others on the basis of their national origin, the government needs to show a very, very compelling need. Stinks of the Korematsu case… yuck. But anyone trying to immigrate or having a permanent resident status is fair game for discrimination …
Here is the link to the Buzzfeed article mentioned in the OP link:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/adolfoflores/people-are-worried-about-dhs-plans-to-gather-social-media
Hi Feds. My name is Bunsen. Bunsen Burner, and I communicate with aliens.
There are a lot of words like want, proposes, and could, in there.
All things considered, I wonder if collecting necessarily means the resources to intensely monitor and analyze. The risk is to those they actually go after, rightly or wrongly.
I generally assume we’re all potential targets. There’s alot we think is private which isn’t. Still, they can’t eavesdrop on all of us, actually read everything we generate, all the time.
So that would include Melania, right?
Is it legal to ask a visa applicant for this information? Of course it is. They can ask for anything, and the immigrant (or visitor, or student) can decide not to come to the US on the visa.
Are they going to get the information from immigrant citizens? I don’t see how. My daughter has no obligation to provide her FB or snapchat info to the government.
It might be “legal”, but that doesn’t make it not fishy. It seems highly intrusive and highly suspect that they require it of all immigrants.
If my understanding is correct then the visa applicant and your daughter might be in similar situations in that they must provide social media information.
The main difference here, however, is the consequences of not providing such information.
For the visa applicant, they cannot receive that visa.
For your daughter it could be a simple fine or jail time or no consequence. Who knows???
But for the visa applicant, they have no expectation of privacy because they aren’t citizens, and aren’t even in the country when applying. The US can put any restrictions or requirements it wants to on applicants. It is intrusive, but so are all the other questions they ask you. When I have traveled to other countries that require a visa, I’ve been asked for the names and phone numbers of the people I stayed with, what I’d be doing, why I was traveling. Friends who were journalists and ministers were told to list other occupations (writer, therapist). Their country, their rules.
My daughter was 2 when she arrived in the USA. She’s now a citizen. I don’t see how they can fine her or put her in jail for not providing the information if they cannot make the same requirement of any citizen. She doesn’t register as a former green card holder or have any other requirements to maintain her citizenship. There just isn’t anything about her interaction with the government (paying taxes, voting) that even indicates she wasn’t born in the US. The only thing I can think of is if she needs to renew a passport, but as of right now she uses the same form we all use and it doesn’t request any additional information. She fills out the form, uses her old passport to get a new one, and that’s it.
QUOTE Membership in Subversive Groups: Your citizenship may be revoked if the U.S. government can prove that you joined a subversive organization within five years of becoming a naturalized citizen. Membership in such organizations is considered a violation of the oath of U.S. allegiance. Examples include the Nazi Party and Al Qaeda.
[/QUOTE]
Hmm…
Don’t think we should speculate about jail time for naturalized citizens.
There is a bunch of Supreme Court cases that say that discrimination of US citizens on the basis of national origin must meet the strict scrutiny requirement. That is, if the government decided to treat similarly situated citizens differently because of their nationality, it has to prove that there is a dire need for such discrimination to exist.
I have been asked those questions as well. They are not as intrusive as asking for social media info IMHO.
This policy is a bit ambiguous in that the consequences are not ready explained. Who knows what they are?
And who knows to what extent this will apply to naturalized citizens (such as myself). Who even knows if they can or will separate citizens based on naturalized vs. non-naturalized? But this new policy makes it seem like they can…
I guess I don’t understand the point of this. They’re asking for the information, so wouldn’t anyone with criminal or terrorist connections just not give them the information? How would they ever verify if someone was telling the truth?
Am I missing something here?
This is not much different than visiting Israel. Israeli security can and will ask you to unlock your phone, tablet, or computer and they will search through your website browsing history and look at what you’ve posted on social media. Refusal = you are denied entry to the country and you fly back home.
“According to BuzzFeed, the new rule could also affect U.S. citizens who communicate with immigrants on social media”
I think that means that everyone on CC will be monitored.
Realistically, I have assumed for a few decades now that anything posted on-line has the potential to be monitored.
Don’t miss the word “could.” It doesn’t necessarily lead to everyone monitored, though I said I assume we all “could” be.
There have been, aiui, software programs to monitor posts and conversations (online or voice) for some time, looking for key words or phrases. That doesn’t mean some crew is listening in or even using the results. Obviously,much security info is outright missed.