Homeland Security & Immigration

Customs and Border Protection published a proposal in the Federal Register on Dec. 10 to expand screening for Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) travelers from roughly 40 countries and opened a 60‑day public comment period. The plan — pending OMB review and citing a January executive order on enhanced vetting — would make ESTA mobile‑only and require applicants to submit five years of social media history, five years of phone numbers, IP addresses and photo metadata, ten years of email addresses, biometric data (face, fingerprint, DNA, iris), immediate family members' personal information, and a selfie captured via a CBP app; critics warn it could dampen tourism ahead of events like the 2026 World Cup.