The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could begin interrogating visa candidates and refugees from the seven Muslim-majority nations. President Donald Trump's controversial executive order requested visitors to surrender their online passwords before entering the country.
DHS Secretary John Kelly revealed that social media credentials are needed for visa applications from the banned nations. Kelly added that if the visa applicants do not cooperate, then they cannot travel to the US.
According to NBC News, handling over the social media credentials to DHS officials is a part of enhanced security measures. Under the current checking process, authorities "don't have a ton to work with," depending on the candidate's documentation and getting some information about their experience.
Kelly claimed that the process is significantly more chaotic when managing "failed states, for example, Syria or Somalia, where strife and conflict have corrupted the record-keeping. He revealed that the government could interrogate the financial status of the applicant.
The government is checking over the particular circumstances to people who may be possibly involved in any terrorist organization's payroll. Getting online passwords was considered by top authorities at the DHS under the Obama administration, yet the strategy was never implemented, as per AOL News.
The administration declared the plan in June in an offer to give the DHS clarity and visibility to possible disreputable activity and associations. It will add a line to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application that US-bound visitors must fill out the security questions plan.
President Trump proposed travel ban said that the Department of Homeland Security would finalize the proposed travel ban and ensure that the visitors can enter the nation with consistency and immediately without undue delay. The countries that are prohibited from entering the United States within the 90 days are Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Iraq and Syria.