Cortez Masto Joins Letter Urging DHS to Revise Proposed Travel Rule That Could Harm Nevada’s Tourism Industry

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) opposing a proposed rule that would require foreign travelers to disclose up to five years of social media history prior to traveling to the United States. The letter was led by Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04) and was joined by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01) and Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03).

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published on December 20, 2025, would amend the Arrival and Departure Record (Form I-94) and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). In practice, travelers from the 42 countries currently exempt from visas for tourism or business visas would have to provide CPB with the emails they had used over the past ten years, as well as phone numbers and home addresses of immediate family members in addition to up to five years of their social media history. This invasive policy would have a chilling effect for foreign tourists to the United States, especially in conjunction with the documented abuses foreign tourists have experienced under the Trump Administration. Nevada's resort industry has already raised the alarm about the impacts that this policy could have on the Silver State's tourism economy.

"Nevada's tourism industry has already taken a severe hit from the Trump Administration's reckless policies," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Requiring visitors to submit years of personal social media information before they're allowed to enter the country is overly burdensome and creates unnecessary concern and anxiety for travelers we want to be welcoming to the U.S. This policy will have serious consequences for the Silver State's economy, and I'm focused on reversing the negative impacts of this Administration on our workers and businesses."

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto is a fierce advocate for Nevada's tourism economy, fighting for transparency and working to support the state through the current economic chaos. On multiple occasions throughout 2025, the Senator raised concerns and demanded the Trump Administration consider and reverse their detrimental policies and make constructive plans for strengthening travel and tourism in the U.S. Overall, Cortez Masto is seeking economic analysis from the Trump Administration and Congress on the impacts of reduced tourism to the economy nationwide. In September, she hosted a press conference with the Culinary Union to call out Trump Administration policies that are slowing travel and tourism in Nevada. She has led legislation to bolster Nevada's legal sports betting industry, remove tariffs on key goods, and ensure that the no taxes on tips policy best serves Nevada workers.

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