ILRC Comment Opposing Generic Collection of Information - Social Media Handles

On May 5, 2025 the ILRC submitted a comment opposing a proposed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rule that would require immigrants to disclose their social media identifiers on application forms. This rule exceeds executive authority and violates multiple laws, including the First and Fifth Amendments, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Privacy Act. If put into effect, this rule would chill free speech, force disclosure of anonymous or private associations, and give USCIS and ICE excessive discretion to discriminate against applicants based on viewpoints expressed online. The agency also failed to provide evidence that this collection is neceesary to safeguard national security, and places unnecessary burdens on vulnerable applicants such as asylum-seekers.