Green card holders living in the United States of America may soon be asked to give their social media accounts to the government, according to a new proposal by President Donald Trump's administration as part of its immigration crackdown.
Visa applicants residing abroad are already required to provide their social media handles to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). According to the latest proposal, the policy will now apply to those who are already legally present in the United States and are requesting permanent residency or asylum, NDTV reports.
The measure might empower the White House to prevent critics from relocating to the United States. It will have an impact on many Indians who live legally in the United States and actively participate in Indian and American politics.
Due to this heightened scrutiny, individuals on green cards may be dissuaded from talking about political issues online due to the danger of negative consequences.
The Trump Administration announced on March 5 that the USCIS has "identified the need to collect social media identifiers ('handles') and associated social media platform names from applicants to enable and help inform identity verification, national security and public safety screening, and vetting, and related inspections."
Seeking public opinion on this plan, the notice claimed that vetting social media accounts was necessary for "enhanced identity verification, vetting and national security screening."
The announcement is a step further in the Trump administration's ongoing policy that requires visa applicants abroad to disclose their social media handles. Through this proposal, the administration aims to extend scrutiny to current residents who are lawfully present in the country, such as people with green cards and asylum seekers requesting permanent residency.
This also coincides with the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement, which includes stricter examination of green card and visa holders.
