Guidelines tightened: USA will now check immigrants for "anti-American" statements
People in front of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (USCIS) in Los Angeles.
(Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Entry requirements for the United States have become significantly more difficult since Trump took office. Immigrants have been screened for anti-Semitic statements since April. Now, additional criteria are to be added.
Anyone applying for permanent residency in the US will now also be screened for possible "anti-American" online statements. The US Citizenship and Naturalization Service (USCIS) has announced that it has expanded the requirements for online pre-screening. Accordingly, social media platforms will now also be screened for "anti-American activities." This expansion is effective immediately.
"American benefits should not be granted to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies," said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. "Immigration benefits—including the right to live and work in the United States—remain a privilege, not a right."
As early as April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expanded its immigration or naturalization policy to include reviewing social media posts for possible anti-Semitic statements or expressions of sympathy for terrorist groups.
Deposit for US visaThe US government recently announced that it would require tourists and business travelers from certain countries to pay a deposit of up to $15,000 (approximately €13,000) for entry. This is intended to ensure that travelers "comply with the terms of their visas and depart the United States in a timely manner," according to a notice in the US Federal Register. Visitors from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are not affected. Germany, along with most EU countries, is among its 42 members.
The exact targets of the measure are yet to be announced, it said. The targets are said to be visitors from countries with high visa overstays. A 2023 Department of Homeland Security report listed such countries as Chad, Eritrea, Myanmar, Yemen, and Haiti.
US President Donald Trump wants to take rigorous action against immigrants who enter the country illegally or who are already in the US without legal residency status.
Source: ntv.de, raf/dpa
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