Jan. 16, 2026, 10:07 a.m. PT
Democratic members of Nevada’s congressional delegation are calling on U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to revamp her proposed rules for allowing foreigners to enter the U.S.
In a letter to Noem and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, the Nevadans argue that enhanced background checks proposed by DHS for international travelers would further burden the state’s already struggling tourism industry, which has been hobbled by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the high cost of living, and disturbances and uncertainties accompanying his deportation efforts, according to Nevada Current
The proposed rules, primarily affecting the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), would require international travelers to disclose all social media accounts from the previous five years. The change “would impact nearly every foreign traveler entering the United States and would substantially expand the personal data collected during that process.”
The letter, which is signed by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto; Sen. Jacky Rosen; Rep. Dina Titus; Rep. Steven Horsford; and Rep. Susie Lee, asks Noem to rescind and revise the proposed rules with input from local political and industry leaders in order to strike the “appropriate balance between safeguarding national security and preserving the economic vitality of states like Nevada.”
It’s unknown if Noem, who has been busy defending the aggressive tactics of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, has responded.
The travel and tourism industries generate billions of dollars each year, the Nevada officials reminded Noem.
“In Nevada, where the economy is deeply reliant on domestic and international visitors, even modest changes to travel policies can have outsized economic consequences. Policies affecting the ease, accessibility, and perception of lawful travel must be carefully evaluated to ensure they do not unintentionally undermine the economic stability of states relying heavily on a strong and predictable travel ecosystem,” the letter says.
The letter notes the delegation supports enhanced “identity verification, threat detection, and border security.” The proposal, however, is a bridge too far – requiring travelers to provide “social media identifiers, to submit telephone numbers used over the previous five years; email addresses used over the previous ten years; detailed personal information about immediate family members – including names, dates and places of birth, residences, and contact information; and expanded biometric identifiers.”
International travel accounts for 12% of all visitation and for 26% of visitor spending in Nevada, the letter says, adding “even small declines in international travel would have an outsized and disproportionate impact on Nevada’s economy.”
