(NEW YORK) — PEN America today responded to the Trump administration’s proposal to require tourists from 42 countries to give U.S. Customs and Border Protection their social media posts from the last five years, saying this overly intrusive policy attempts to “intimidate, humiliate and silence” critics of the U.S. government while threatening free speech and cultural exchange.
The planned policy represents an expansion of procedures that have been used for years for visa applications for people entering the country from different parts of the world.
Summer Lopez, interim co-CEO of the writers organization, said: “This intrusive policy is a brutal assault on freedom of speech. While these tactics are not entirely new, broadening them is a clear show of force and a continuation of the administration’s attempts to intimidate, humiliate, and silence critics of the U.S. government globally, and one that will chill cultural and other forms of international exchange. For nearly a year, the Trump administration has made stifling free speech its calling card — but there’s a reason we associate this kind of politically-motivated scrutiny at international borders with tyrannical regimes.”
The administration’s plan will require tourists traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program to provide social media from the last five years along with a wide range of other personal information, including prior telephone numbers and email addresses, biometrics including DNA and fingerprints, and the names and information of family members who are not attempting to enter the country. These new mandatory disclosures would apply to the 42 countries whose nationals currently do not need a visa to enter the United States as tourists. The planned policy change also follows a series of draconian attempts to crack down on immigration and chill speech, including expanded social media screening and vetting for certain visa applications and consideration of “anti-American” views in applications for immigration benefits.
Lopez continued: “Art, culture, and the advancement of knowledge flourish in a world without borders. That is true of the United States, whose political, cultural, and intellectual life has been indelibly shaped by immigrants, tourists, and other non-citizens. Sadly, we’re witnessing the effort to destroy that legacy of essential exchange with other countries.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057