U.S. probing immigration applicants' social media to identify "anti-American" activity that's "beyond the pale," official says

Washington — The U.S. government is probing the social media of those applying for legal immigration benefits as part of a Trump administration push to root out "anti-American" activity and views that are "beyond the pale," a top immigration official told CBS News.

Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency in charge of the legal immigration system, said the vetting effort primarily relies on what he called the "social media screening" of people applying for green cards and other immigration applications.

In August, the Trump administration issued a directive instructing USCIS officials to consider the identification of "anti-American" views and activity of certain applicants for immigration benefits as an "overwhelmingly negative fac