The Trump administration is building a surveillance state system for immigrants that can be applied to citizens as well. (Go here). This system is expanding to more aggressively monitor the social media accounts of international students.
On May 27, the State Department instructed its consular officers ““Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued…”
In 2023-2024, there was record high of 1,126,690 international students in the U.S., of which a quarter — 277,398—came from China (a decline from a peak of 272,000 in 2019-2020). Three American universities host at least 20,000 of these students, and 12 host between 10,000 and 20,000. Enrollment is roughly balanced between undergraduate and graduate programs. (At Harvard, 85% of the total of about 7,000 are graduate students.)
On May 28, Secretary of State Rubio wrote, “Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” One can expect that Chinese international students will be singled out for especially intrusive data collection.
The Investigative Case Management System
MigrantInsider reports on the Investigative Case Management (ICM) system was developed by Palantir Technologies under a contract signed in 2022 (i.e. under Biden). This system has been used in the failed effort to deport hundreds of international students.
Manriquez of MigrantInsider: Described as the “core law enforcement case management tool” for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division, ICM enables agents to filter individuals using hundreds of specific categories, including resident status, entry status (e.g., “refugee,” “undocumented alien”), physical characteristics like tattoos, criminal affiliations, location data, license plate reader data, and personal details such as hair color, race, and Social Security numbers.
ICE began using ICM in 2016, with its capabilities expanding significantly over the years. The system connects to other federal databases, including the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) for student visa holders, the FALCON search tool, and real-time maps tied to ICE’s location tracking systems. It also incorporates data from the FBI, ATF, DEA, and CIA, as noted in a 2016 privacy impact assessment.
The system’s use has been linked to recent deportations of college students, tourists, and Green Card holders for minor infractions, such as speeding tickets or protests, with at least 238 individuals sent to a mega prison in El Salvador without due process, according to a 60 Minutes investigation.
The Migration Policy Institute published a report on the surveillence state for immigrants on May 29, here.