Lawmakers in Washington are looking at drawing up new legislation to ensure that the social media profiles of would-be immigrants are taken into account as part of the screening process to obtain a
US visa to enter the country.
The intention is to fill the massive gaps in security that came to light in the wake of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino in California, when one of the terrorists had posted her support for Islamic State on her Facebook account prior to the deadly shootings. The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have been directed by the Obama administration to review the screening process for those putting in visa applications and to come back with targeted suggestions for how to close the gaps in security in the system, revealed Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Senator Bob Goodlatte, says legislation is being worked on by the committee to make online information such as social media accounts a part of the background checking and reviewing process for anyone applying for US visas, including the K-1 visa.
The Department of Homeland Security says it is looking at specific policies that would allow US Citizenship and Immigration Services to look at posts on social media sites as part of the immigrant screening process. “I think the president’s top priority here is the national security and safety of the American people,” Earnest says.
