Wednesday, December 10, 2025
'AP: Foreigners traveling to US without visa could be part of new social media screening'
Foreigners who are allowed to come to the United States without a visa could soon be required to submit information about their social media, email accounts and extensive family history to the Department of Homeland Security before being approved for travel.
The notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register said Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years’ worth of social media information from travelers from select countries who do not have to get visas to come to the U.S.
The Trump administration has been stepping up monitoring of international travelers and immigrants.
The announcement refers to travelers from more than three dozen countries who take part in the Visa Waiver Program and submit their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which automatically screens them and then approves them for travel to the U.S.
Unlike visa applicants, they generally do not have to go into an embassy or consulate for an interview.
DHS administers the program, which currently allows citizens of roughly 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for three months without visas.
The announcement also said that CBP would start requesting a list of other information, including telephone numbers the person has used over the past five years or email addresses used over the past decade.
Also sought would be metadata from electronically submitted photos, as well as extensive information from the applicant’s family members, including their places of birth and their telephone numbers.
The application that people are now required to fill out to take part in ESTA asks for a more limited set of questions such as parents’ names and current email address.
Asked at a White House event whether he was concerned the measure might affect tourism to the U.S., President Donald Trump said no.
“We want safety, we want security, we want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people come into our country,” Trump said.
The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they go into effect, the notice said.
CBP officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new rules.
The announcement did not say what the administration was looking for in the social media accounts or why it was asking for more information.
But the agency said it was complying with an executive order that Trump signed in January that called for more screening of people coming to the U.S. to prevent the entry of possible national security threats.
Travelers from countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program system are already required to submit their social media information, a policy that dates back to the first Trump administration.
The policy remained during Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration.
But citizens from visa waiver countries were not obligated to do so.
Since January, the Trump administration has stepped up checks of immigrants and travelers, both those trying to enter the U.S. as well as those already in the country.
Officials have tightened visa rules by requiring that applicants set all of their social media accounts to public so that they can be more easily scrutinized and checked for what authorities view as potential derogatory information.
Refusing to set an account to public can be considered grounds for visa denial, according to guidelines provided by the State Department.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services now considers whether an applicant for benefits, such as a green card, “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views.
The heightened interest in social media screening has drawn concern from immigration and free speech advocates about what the Trump administration is looking for and whether the measures target people critical of the administration in an infringement of free speech rights.
Somali Student In Minnesota Threatens To "Pop" ICE Agents
A Minnesota State University student has sparked outrage and a federal investigation after posting a video on TikTok in which he explicitly threatened to shoot Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
“ICE, I actually heard you guys pulled up to Owatonna, the big O, and you pulled up when I was not there? Y’all so p–s-ass s–t, boy. You’re gonna get popped next time I see you,” the student, identified by the New York Post as Hasan Mohamed, said in the clip, which was later deleted. “Bring the whole cavalry. Yeah, boy, you guys are scared.”
Somali man in Minnesota claims that ICE showed up to near him, threatens to “pop” them the next time they show up.
— ICE of TikTok (@ICEofTikTok) December 9, 2025
“They’ll have to bring the Calvary.” pic.twitter.com/7lbdU0BsHW
Only after the video went viral and outrage ensued did Mohamed post a video expressing any kind of regret.
“I don’t expect to be forgiven. I’m just here to apologize,” the student claimed. “I truly did not mean what I said. I was just trying to be funny.”
The episode unfolded against the backdrop of an intensified federal enforcement operation in the Twin Cities area. Last week, ICE concluded “Operation Metro Surge,” arresting nearly a dozen criminal aliens in Minneapolis, including five Somali nationals, several Mexicans, and one individual from El Salvador, according to Fox News.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin linked the arrests to Minnesota’s sanctuary policies.
“Sanctuary policies and politicians like Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey allowed these pedophiles, domestic terrorists, and gang members to roam the streets and terrorize Americans,” McLaughlin said. “ICE law enforcement are risking their lives to protect Minnesotans while their own elected officials sit by and do nothing. No matter when and where, ICE will find, arrest, and deport ALL criminal illegal aliens.”
The arrests and the subsequent threat come weeks after a bombshell investigation by journalists Christopher Rufo and Ryan Thorpe exposed systemic fraud in Minnesota’s social-safety-net programs, much of it allegedly involving members of the state’s large Somali community.
The report focused particular attention on the Feeding Our Future case—prosecutors have called it the largest pandemic-era fraud scheme in the country—with defendants accused of diverting at least $250 million to $300 million in federal child-nutrition funds. More than 70 individuals, predominantly Somali-Americans, have been charged, while dozens have already been convicted or pleaded guilty. Investigators say proceeds were used to purchase luxury vehicles and real estate in the U.S. and abroad. Most shockingly, Rufo and Thorpe cited federal counterterrorism sources who alleged that millions in fraud proceeds were transferred to al-Shabaab in Somalia through informal hawala transfers.
President Donald Trump responded by revoking Temporary Protected Status for certain Somali nationals and, in a Thanksgiving-week Truth Social post, referred to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as “seriously retarded.”
Walz responded by whining that people had begun shouting the slur while driving past the governor’s residence.
“This creates danger,” Walz claimed. “We know how things go. They start with taunts, they turn to violence.”
People are driving by Tim Walz and calling him “retarded” 🤣
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) December 4, 2025
pic.twitter.com/FbcMR2rnGn
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who was born in Somalia, also jumped on the victimhood bandwagon, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper last week that Trump’s rhetoric was stoking fear in the Somali community.
“It creates fear. And there is a possible danger that a lot of the people who follow the president have exhibited violence in many cases,” Omar said. “There are so many people that have been incarcerated over the years that have been encouraged by the president’s words.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/wild-video-somali-student-minnesota-threatens-pop-ice-agents
Government Report Shows Data on Obamacare Fraud, Inefficiency
As Congress debates whether to extend Obamacare premium tax credits, a new report from the Government Accountability Office reveals the subsidies are prone to fraud and sometimes go to dead people.
The office, which is funded by Congress, revealed on Dec. 3 that the Obamacare marketplace “initially approved coverage for 19 of our 20 fictitious applicants” for 2025 premium tax credits in an audit of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
“It is an eye-opener,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Wednesday of the report.
The speaker also said the report backs up his advocacy for reforming the premium tax credits that Democrats have demanded to extend.
“It makes clear why it would be a dereliction of duty to just extend subsidies without massive reforms to them,” Johnson said.
The government report said coverage continued for months for these phony enrollees.
“As of September 2025, coverage for 18 fictitious enrollees remained active,” the report reads. “The results of our covert testing for plan year 2025 are generally consistent with results of similar testing we conducted for plan years 2014 through 2016.”
The report additionally found $94 million spent in premium tax credits toward consumers whose Social Security numbers are associated with a deceased person in 2023.
The analysis of 2023 data “identified over 58,000 [social security numbers] that received” a premium tax credit despite belonging to people who were marked as deceased in Social Security Administration death data.
This is approximately .42% of the social security numbers that received a premium tax credit that year.
According to Johnson, “The Obamacare exchange and insurers didn’t verify any of the information they were supposed to under the law, and they proceeded to pay tens of thousands of dollars to insurance companies for people who do not exist.”
Mexico raises tariffs on Chinese goods
Mexico's Senate approved new tariffs of up to 50% on Chinese goods and imports from other Asian nations that haven't struck a trade deal with Mexico, following earlier approval by the lower house.
Most categories of goods will face a tariff rate of 20% to 35%, with the move targeting auto, textile, plastic, clothing and other imports from countries like South Korea and India.
The tariffs, aimed at boosting Mexico's domestic market, are due to take effect from 2026.
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Mexico-raises-tariffs-on-Chinese-goods/65333637
Trump Targets Democrat-Enabled Crime
Pithy social critic David Burge said it best: “Journalism is about covering important stories — with a pillow, until they stop moving.”
One of the important stories that “journalists” are covering up today is the Trump administration’s increasingly successful efforts to combat violent crime. At the end of July, the Department of Homeland Security released a report showing that violent crime rates had dropped significantly during the first six months of President Trump’s second term. Homicides were down 17%; gun assaults were down 21%; aggravated assaults were down 10%; sexual assaults were down 10%; and carjackings were down 24%. These reductions appear to have continued through the end of the year.
Assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin was blunt in her assessment of the administration’s success: “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, our law enforcement is working at lightning speed to remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the U.S. Every single day we are arresting gang members, murderers, pedophiles, and violent predators. Seventy percent of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens who have been convicted or charged with a crime. These arrests and deportations of criminal illegal aliens are having real impact on public safety.”
It turns out that going after criminals whose transgressions against the American public include having illegally entered the country is an effective strategy for reducing violent crimes. This seems like common sense. Foreign nationals who do not respect America’s immigration laws should not be expected to respect other laws once they are here.
The Trump administration has given Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the money and support to go after hardened criminals who never should have been allowed access to the American homeland. In addition, the White House has ordered FBI agents, National Guard troops, and law enforcement officers from numerous federal agencies to act as an additional layer of support in Washington, D.C. and other crime-ridden cities.
As John R. Lott, Jr. wrote about these policies a few months back, “this isn’t rocket science. The research is clear that if you want to reduce crime, you need to make it risky for criminals to commit crime. Higher arrest and conviction rates as well as longer prison terms matter. Just as making it possible for people to defend themselves also makes a difference.”
A reasonable observer could be forgiven for assuming that the Trump administration’s successful efforts to combat violent crime would be celebrated across the political spectrum. That has not been the case. Democrat politicians continue to call ICE agents “Nazis” and “Trump’s Gestapo.” Democrat governors and legislators continue to claim that President Trump will use National Guard troops to cancel elections and even murder American citizens. Democrat judges continue to make it as difficult as possible for the Trump administration to deport criminal illegal aliens. Democrat-sponsored pop-up mobs continue to riot outside ICE offices in defense of foreign nationals who have inflicted serious harm on Americans.
Federal authorities recently arrested a Somali national residing in Minneapolis, Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman after a Democrat prosecutor and a lenient judge had given the already convicted rapist a slap on the wrist for prior horrific crimes. Mohamed was connected to numerous kidnappings and rapes — including against minors — when Democrat officials gave the “Minnesota Man” probation and carte blanche to continue hunting and raping women.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi says the “case illustrates how left-wing soft-on-crime policies and vetting failures put innocent people at dire risk.” Still, Minnesota Democrats continue to defend the rapist as someone who just hasn’t had enough time to adjust properly to the niceties of American culture. Is it really too much for Americans to insist that rapists be barred from entry into the United States?
In another recent incident of violent crime, a previously deported illegal alien allegedly stabbed a North Carolina man on the same public transit system on which Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was barbarically murdered in August. The twice-deported illegal alien from Honduras has a lengthy criminal record in the U.S. but still managed to find refuge in a part of Democrat-controlled North Carolina where suicidal empathy for illegal aliens enables new cases of attempted murder.
In response to the unnecessary attack on Americans, Republican Congressman Mark Harris did not mince words: “While families beg for safety and police call for backup, the Left is too busy protesting ICE for daring to remove illegal aliens from our streets. This latest senseless stabbing proves what they desperately want to hide: Democrat policies protect criminals and abandon victims.” Disgusted with local Democrats’ pro-crime policies, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy angrily concluded, “Apparently, the death of Iryna Zarutska wasn’t enough.”
Violent crime is a symptom of a diseased society. It is also a sign of a broken legal system. For too many decades, law-abiding Americans have watched helplessly as Democrat lawmakers, prosecutors, judges, and governors treat criminals as “victims” and forget real victims altogether.
Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson recently argued that imprisoning violent criminals is “racist,” “immoral,” and “unholy.” Chicago’s deeply unpopular leader told members of the press, “We cannot incarcerate our way out of violence.” New York City’s communist mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, has expressed the same sentiment and recently produced a video encouraging New Yorkers to help illegal aliens “stand up to ICE.” Minnesota governor Tim Walz, who allowed Minneapolis to burn during the George Floyd riots, is now implicated in a multi-billion-dollar fraud scheme involving his state’s large Somali population.
Democrats ignore crime, aid and abet crime, or directly orchestrate crime. When crime is a source of income and criminals are a loyal constituency, Democrats have no incentive to protect American citizens from ongoing criminal activities.
What the Trump administration understands is that a small number of criminals inside the United States perpetrate most violent crimes. Just 2% of counties across America are responsible for half the nation’s homicides. Criminology research amply demonstrates that less than a tenth of any population commits more than half of all crimes. And one seminal study shows that 1% of the population accounts for 63% of all violent crime convictions.
When ICE agents are empowered to remove criminal illegal aliens from American society, law enforcement officers are empowered to go after known criminals, and prosecutors are empowered to put those criminals in prison for lengthy sentences, violent crime rates drop precipitously. But this kind of commonsense solution requires that local, state, and federal officials actually back the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect civilians from violent felons.
When Democrat mayors and governors add their voices to the loony leftists calling to “defund the police,” violent crime rates go up. When Democrat politicians call cops “murderers,” “Klan members,” “slave-catchers,” and “racists,” violent crime rates go up. When Democrat race-baiters glorify lifetime criminals as “victims” and insist that police officers be prosecuted for doing their jobs, violent crime rates go up. Basically, when Democrat mayors, governors, prosecutors, lawmakers, and judges hold power over any jurisdiction, violent crime rates go up.
Democrat politicians make all kinds of excuses for their failures to prevent violent crime. They claim to believe in “rehabilitation,” “restoration,” and “equitable justice.” They think preventing, deterring, or punishing crime is inherently “racist,” “patriarchal,” and “white supremacist.”
A simpler explanation might be this: Before Democrats can “fundamentally transform” the United States into a Marxist-socialist hellhole, they must first burn the country to the ground. Revolutionaries prefer to build their totalitarian “Utopias” on the ashes of tradition, social cohesion, and the rule of law. From Democrats’ point of view, criminals provide a valuable service by destroying civic peace.
President Trump and his administration understand the stakes: Either Americans win, or the criminals do.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/12/trump_targets_democrat_enabled_crime.html