The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced today a proposal to collect social media identifiers, or “handles,” from applicants on various immigration forms.
Published in the Federal Register, the notice titled “Generic Clearance for the Collection of Social Media Identifier(s) on Immigration Forms” opens a 60-day public comment period ending May 5, 2025, as part of a new effort to enhance national security vetting under a recent executive order from President Donald Trump.
The initiative stems from Executive Order 14161, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” signed on January 20, 2025. The order mandates “uniform vetting standards” and requires USCIS to gather all necessary data for rigorous screening of applicants for immigration benefits. According to the notice, collecting social media identifiers will bolster identity verification and help assess potential security or public safety risks posed by applicants.
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“This data collection is necessary to comply with section 2 of the E.O., establishing enhanced screening and vetting standards,” the agency stated. Forms affected include the N-400 (citizenship application), I-131 (travel document), I-485 (adjustment of status), I-589 (asylum), and others, impacting millions of applicants annually. USCIS estimates that providing social media handles will add just 0.08 hours—about five minutes—to each application, resulting in a total public burden of 285,999 hours across roughly 3.6 million respondents. No additional costs to applicants are anticipated beyond existing form fees.
Public Invited to Weigh In
The proposal, docketed as USCIS-2025-0003, invites comments from the public and federal agencies on its necessity, accuracy, clarity, and potential burden. Submissions can be made via Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/USCIS-2025-0003-0001 until the May 5 deadline. USCIS emphasized that all comments, including personal information, will be posted publicly online after review, urging submitters to limit sensitive details.
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“This is an opportunity for the public to shape how we implement these vetting enhancements,” said Samantha Deshommes, Chief of USCIS’s Regulatory Coordination Division, in a contact statement. The agency outlined four key areas for feedback: the policy’s utility, the accuracy of its burden estimates, ways to improve the data collection, and methods to minimize applicant effort, such as electronic submission options.
A Response to Heightened Security Concerns
The move reflects the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on immigration security, building on policies like visa restrictions and border enforcement.
Social media screening isn’t entirely new—limited pilots began under the Obama administration in 2016—but this marks a formal expansion across USCIS processes. Critics, however, question its efficacy and privacy implications, arguing that social media data can be unreliable or misinterpreted, potentially leading to unfair denials.
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As the comment period unfolds, the proposal could face pushback from privacy advocates and immigration groups, while supporters argue it’s a critical tool to safeguard the nation. The final policy will hinge on public input and DHS review, with implementation details to follow later this year. For now, USCIS is signaling a new era of scrutiny—one where an applicant’s online presence could determine their American future.
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