WASHINGTON: United States immigration authorities said on Wednesday (Apr 9) they will look at social media accounts and deny visas or residence permits to people who post content considered anti-Semitic by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Posts defined as anti-Semitic will include social media activity in support of militant groups classified by the US as terrorists, including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Huthi insurgents.
The move comes after the Trump administration controversially canceled visas for students inside the US, where the First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here”, department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services “will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting or supporting anti-Semitic terrorism, anti-Semitic terrorist organisations or other anti-Semitic activity as a negative factor” in determining benefits, the statement said.
