Oppose Expanded ESTA Data Collection Requirements

I urge you to oppose the Department of Homeland Security's proposed changes to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization that would require visitors from 42 visa waiver countries to submit five years of social media history, ten years of email addresses, and extensive personal information about family members. This proposal threatens both constitutional principles and economic prosperity. The DHS Inspector General previously determined that collecting this volume of information does not make our country safer. Despite this finding, Customs and Border Protection is moving forward with mandatory social media and email surveillance that will create a chilling effect on free expression. When visitors know their jokes, opinions, and private communications will be scrutinized for years, they will self-censor. This undermines the First Amendment guarantee of free speech for everyone in this country, not just citizens. The economic consequences will be severe. Our tourism industry has already suffered significant losses over the past year, and these requirements will deter millions more visitors from countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. The timing could not be worse, with the United States set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in summer 2026. Tourism supports millions of American jobs and generates billions in economic activity. At a time when families are struggling with increased costs for everything, we cannot afford policies that will cost our economy billions more. This proposal is part of a broader expansion of surveillance that includes USCIS screening immigrants for views deemed "anti-American." Such ideological testing is fundamentally incompatible with American values and constitutional protections. I ask you to publicly oppose these ESTA changes and work with your colleagues to prevent their implementation. Congress must assert its oversight authority and stop this wholesale data collection program that sacrifices both liberty and economic security without improving safety.