Kamal Ghorui
New immigration rule says social media posts against Israel can be a reason of Green Card denial in the US.
Not only anti-America, but anti-Israel and pro-Palestine social media posts can also block a Green Card as a new immigration guidance issued by the Donald Trump administration expands the disqualifying factors, New York Times reported. The guidance has examples of what can be seen anti-Israel and can be a ground to deny Green Card. Social media posts that declare something like ‘Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine’ or display Israeli flag crossed out are enough to deny Green Card, it said.Participating in pro-Palestinian campus protests, desecrating the American flag can also jeopardize Green Card chance.“The materials were distributed last month to immigration officers at US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security and handles applications for green cards and other forms of legal status,” the NYT report said.The NYT report observed how the role of the USCIS changed under the Trump 2.0 administration from a legal immigration agency to a deportation machinery.
List of ‘overwhelmingly negative factors’
- Endorsing, promoting or supporting anti-American views
- Endorsing antisemitic terrorism, ideologies or groups
- Support for “subversive” ideologies. As an example, the materials point to someone “holding a sign advocating overthrow of the US government.”
- Desecration of the American flag
- Getting engaged in on-campus anti-American and antisemitic activities after 2023
- Social media posts showing a map of Israel with the nation’s name crossed out and replaced with the word ‘Palestine’
- Social media posts suggesting Israelis should taste what people in Gaza are tasting
If these negative factors are spotted, immigration officers must elevate all cases involving “potential anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideology” to their managers and to the agency’s general counsel’s office for review, according to the documents.Green Card gives lawful permanent residence to an individual eligible under US immigration law — who does not have any serious criminal record, who entered the country legally etc. But the USCIS said they are now checking old cases as they believe the vetting was lax during the Biden administration and they will recheck those cases and revoke Green Cards to individuals whom they now consider ineligible.
