Could Immigration Officals Be Looking at Your Social Media?

September 29, 2017

Social Media, Criminalization, and Immigration via National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, in immigration enforcement.1 Information shared on social media could be used against a person to arrest you, detain you, put you in fast-track deportation or regular deportation proceedings, or to stop you from getting immigration benefits, such as a green card, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

This advisory is not designed to instruct people how to respond to ICE when it uses social media against a person applying for immigration benefits (DACA, TPS, green card, etc.) before an immigration agency, immigration court, or immigration detention. Local police and ICE routinely monitor social media accounts, especially if a person has contact with law enforcement. During an investigation, they sometimes ask or order the social media provider, such as Facebook or Twitter, to turn over your social media history or account. Immigration agents could also ask you to turn over the password to your social media accounts. This means they have access to your posts, other people’s posts if they have “tagged” you, your social network, what you look at, messages, and your photos or videos that you upload to your social media site.