On October 14, 2025, the US Department of State (“DOS”) reported they had revoked the visas of six foreign nationals who had made seemingly mocking or celebratory comments via social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a university event in Utah. Citizens from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Paraguay, and South Africa were among those affected. Posting on X, the DOS thread included the social media posts or comments in question, with the users’ handles or names redacted and identified only by their country of origin, followed by “Visa revoked.”
Read moreHow a “Status Update” Could Cause You to Lose Your Immigration Status
In this day and age social media is a part of most people’s daily lives. Updating your status on Facebook, posting pictures on Instagram, making witty commentary on Twitter, and checking up on colleagues on LinkedIn have all become part of our day-to-day activities. But it’s not just family and friends who may be viewing your updates. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it intends to monitor the social media of immigrants—even permanent residents and naturalized US citizens. Additionally, in May this year, the Trump administration approved a new questionnaire that asks for social media handles going back five years for visa applicants worldwide. Historically, consular officers and USCIS adjudicators have, on occasion, also used Google searches and checked social media to research visa applicants and verify information on the submitted paperwork. For all these reasons, it couldn’t be a better time to discuss how various government agencies might be using the information on foreign national’s social media sites, specifically in regards to adjudicating visa applications and determining admissibility to the United States.
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