• Trump has been cracking down on pro-Palestine protests.
• The Rights Panel said the administration is restricting freedom of speech.
• The government says extremist sympathizers have no place here.

Washington: The U.S. government said Wednesday it will begin screening social media for immigration and visa applicants to learn about its so-called anti-Semitism campaign, promptly condemning rights advocates, including some Jews, who raised questions about freedom of speech and surveillance.

Since October 2023, President Donald Trump’s administration has tried to combat protests against the devastating military attacks on our ally Israeli on Gaza.

“Today’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin to consider anti-Semitic movements by foreigners on social media and physical harassment by Jews, which is a reason to reject immigration benefits requests,” the Department of Homeland Security agency USCIS said in a statement.

It added that this step will immediately affect people applying for legal permanent resident status, foreign students, and those associated with educational institutions related to anti-Semitism activities.

“Other terrorist sympathizers around the world have no room in the United States.”

The Trump administration often labels pro-Palestine voices as anti-Semitism and sympathizes with Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels, which Washington has designated as “terrorists.”

The government is trying to expel some foreign students, revoke multiple visas and warns universities to cut federal funding for pro-Palestinian protests.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump administration will criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza and support for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and extremism.

Rights advocates and human rights experts have condemned the Trump administration, including Wednesday’s announcement, which they said threatened freedom of speech, similar to surveillance and picking out of immigration.

The Free Speech Group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) said the Trump administration is “formalizing censorship practices.”

“By monitoring visa and green card holders and targeting them based on their protected expressions, the government’s commitment to trade the U.S. to free and open discourse is also out of fear and silence,” Fire said.

The Nexus project, which fights anti-Semitism, says the Trump administration follows immigrants in the name of dealing with anti-Semitism and seeing anti-Semitism as an import problem.

Rights advocates have also raised concerns about Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias. The Trump administration has not announced steps to respond.