Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Each year thousands of young Irish people work in the US on J-1 visas. I have done it myself, a happy summer in Boston many years ago. Generally, it is a very positive experience. However, things have changed drastically under US President Trump with the recent authoritarian announcement that students will have to hand over social media accounts. We are watching a major incursion on freedom of expression unthinkable in a western democracy. This week a young Norwegian tourist was detained by ICE at Newark Airport and sent back to Oslo. Why? He had on his phone a meme depicting Vice President JD Vance as a baby. It is extraordinary that this amusing meme depicting a public person would be used as an excuse to detain a young person for five hours and then deport him back to Oslo. I welcome the Tánaiste's commitment to raise this serious issue with the US ambassador but, as the line Minister for issuing visas, what can Deputy O'Callaghan do to reassure young people here who hope to travel to the US on a J-1 visa but are fearful of this treatment?

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