Trump administration expands AI-powered social media surveillance of 33 million immigrants

The Trump administration published plans on March 15, 2025 to collect social media identifiers for more than 33 million people applying for permanent residence or adjustment of status. The State Department's "Catch and Revoke" program uses AI to scan social media and revoke visas of foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups. The Department of Homeland Security created a task force to monitor online activities of foreign students to find grounds for visa revocation. In the three months following the executive order, over 1,500 foreign students had their visas altered or revoked without explanation.