WASHINGTON (AP) – Lawmakers are working on legislation to ensure a person’s online presence is reviewed as part of the vetting process for a visa to enter the United States.
The goal is to close security gaps that didn’t pick up on one of the radicalized shooters in the San Bernardino, California, attack, who entered the country last year.
The Obama administration has directed the Homeland Security and State departments to review the process for screening people who apply for visas and to return with specific recommendations to close security gaps in the U.S. visa system, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest Monday.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, said the committee is working on legislation that would require online information, including social media accounts, be reviewed as part of the background check for visa applicants, including K-1 visas.
The Homeland Security Department said it is specifically reviewing policies on when authorities at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can look at social media posts as part of the vetting process for would-be immigrants applying for certain visas.