Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said social media passwords might be required from visa applicants moving forward.
Kelly said Tuesday that those applying for visas might be asked to provide U.S. embassies with the passwords for their social media accounts, according to Fox News.
“We may want to get on their social media, with passwords,” Kelly told the Homeland Security Committee at a hearing, according to Fox News. “It’s very hard to truly vet these people in these countries, the seven countries. But if they come in, we want to say, what websites do they visit, and give us your passwords. So we can see what they do on the internet.”
Though the handing over of social media passwords is not an official policy, Kelly said if it’s implemented, then those who refuse to hand over the passwords will not be allowed in the U.S.
“These are the things we are thinking about. But over there we can ask them for this kind of information and if they truly want to come to America, then they will cooperate. If not, next in line,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s remarks came on the same day that judges heard arguments regarding President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order, which originally placed a ban on refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, preventing them from entering the country, according to NBC News.
Trump’s controversial executive order, which has been referred to as a “Muslim ban” by some, was recently overturned by a lower-court judge, Time noted.
Trump has said he’s working to get a reversal of the judge’s orders.
Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to express his disgust with U.S. District Court Judge James Robart for overturning his executive order.
“Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!” Trump’s tweet read.
Kelly took responsibility for the president’s immigration ban being so quickly overturned.
“I should have delayed it just a bit so I could have talked to members of Congress,” Kelly said, according to Fox News. “Going forward, I would have certainly taken some time to inform Congress, and that’s something I look forward to in the future.”
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