WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The U.S. government announced on Wednesday that it has begun screening the social media activity of immigrants and visa applicants for what it describes as antisemitic behavior, sparking swift backlash from civil rights groups and Jewish advocacy organizations concerned about free speech and government overreach.
In a statement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, said it will now consider “antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals” as grounds for denying immigration benefits such as permanent residency and visas. The policy applies to foreign students, green card applicants, and individuals affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic behavior.
“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers,” USCIS said in its announcement.
The move is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to clamp down on pro-Palestinian protests and online discourse following Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The offensive came in response to a deadly October 2023 attack by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group that the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. Since then, the administration has intensified efforts to penalize individuals and institutions it believes are sympathetic to groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
This policy shift has already led to visa revocations and attempts to deport foreign students allegedly tied to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The administration has also threatened to cut federal funding from universities hosting or supporting such protests, according to Reuters.
Rights groups and free speech advocates condemned the policy, arguing it equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism and criminalizes protected political expression.
“This is the formalization of censorship practices,” said the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in a statement. “By surveilling visa and green card holders and targeting them based on nothing more than their protected expression, the administration trades America’s commitment to free and open discourse for fear and silence.”
Protesters — including some Jewish organizations — insist that criticism of Israeli government actions in Gaza and support for Palestinian rights are being unfairly labeled as antisemitic. They say the administration’s framing conflates legitimate political opposition with hate speech.
“This policy threatens to treat antisemitism as a problem imported by immigrants rather than addressing it as a complex issue rooted in many forms of extremism,” said The Nexus Project, a Jewish-led organization combating antisemitism. “It risks chilling free speech while failing to confront real sources of antisemitic violence.”
The administration’s selective focus has also drawn accusations of bias. Critics note that while the government is aggressively monitoring pro-Palestinian voices, it has not taken similar steps to combat Islamophobia or anti-Arab hate speech, both of which have surged during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“The double standard is glaring,” said a spokesperson for a leading Arab American advocacy group, who asked not to be named for safety reasons. “This policy sends the message that only certain forms of bigotry are unacceptable — and that dissent from U.S. foreign policy may now come at the cost of your legal status.”
As legal challenges loom and debate intensifies, civil liberties organizations warn that this initiative could set a dangerous precedent, eroding First Amendment protections for immigrants and citizens alike.
“Once we accept that the government can punish speech it dislikes under the guise of national security, we risk losing the core freedoms that define American democracy,” said FIRE.
While the administration maintains that its goal is to combat hate and protect Jewish communities, critics remain deeply skeptical. For now, the policy is in effect, and being closely watched by both immigration attorneys and human rights defenders nationwide.
