Summary

In 2025 US federal agencies used AI-assisted tools to screen the public social-media accounts of international students under a programme known as 'Catch and Revoke'. More than 1,600 student visas were revoked. Civil-society organisations, including EFF, argued that revocations targeted political speech and raised free-speech and due-process concerns.

Sources

1. Trump Administration’s Targeting of International Students Jeopardizes Free Speech and Privacy OnlineElectronic Frontier Foundation · Originating report
2. DHS to Begin Screening Aliens’ Social Media Activity for Antisemitism | USCISUSCIS · primary source
3. The AI Tools CBP Is Using to Scan Social Media404 Media
4. US to revoke student visas over ‘pro-Hamas’ social media posts flagged by AI – report | US news | The Guardianthe Guardian
5. The New York Times — Columbia University and the Trump administration protests (2025-03-12)The New York Times
6. The New York Times — Student visas and social media (2025-04-01)The New York Times
7. Reuters — Trump administration orders Gaza-linked social-media vetting of visa applicants (2025-04-17)Reuters
8. US immigration officials look to expand social media data collection | AP NewsAP News
9. You Shouldn’t Have to Make Your Social Media Public to Get a VisaElectronic Frontier Foundation
10. No One Should Be Forced to Conform to the Views of the StateElectronic Frontier Foundation

Tags

• immigration enforcement
• social media surveillance
• first amendment
• visa revocation
• ai surveillance
• chilling effect
• political speech
• cross agency program
• student visa
• ongoing litigation

Record

First collected

2026-04-15

Last verified

2026-04-18

Verified by

Checked by the author against the sources