Surge in Draft Anxiety Among Immigrants After Policy Change

New data shows spike in online searches related to Selective Service registration and immigration enforcement concerns.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 7:42am

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A new report finds a dramatic increase in Google searches related to the U.S. military draft and concerns over how personal information collected through Selective Service registration could be shared with immigration authorities, following recent changes to federal law that automate the registration process.

Why it matters

The surge in search activity suggests growing anxiety among immigrants and non-citizens over how the automated Selective Service system could expose them to potential immigration enforcement actions, even though there is currently no active military draft.

The details

The report from Mendoza Immigration Law found that some searches increased by as much as 5,000% in March 2026, with many people looking into whether the Selective Service System shares data with agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are also concerns about non-citizens already serving in the military facing deportation risks.

  • The search data spike occurred in March 2026.
  • The changes to the Selective Service system were included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

The players

Mendoza Immigration Law

A law firm that conducted the analysis of the Google search data and reported on the growing concerns among immigrants and non-citizens.

Selective Service System

The federal agency responsible for draft registration, which is transitioning to an automated system that uses existing government databases to register eligible individuals.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal immigration enforcement agency that some are concerned could access data from the Selective Service system.

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What’s next

The report indicates that many young people are now exploring ways to avoid potential draft obligations or limit exposure to federal systems, such as looking into dual citizenship and second passports.

The takeaway

While the changes to the Selective Service system are unlikely to have an immediate impact on most U.S. citizens, the shift to automatic registration has raised concerns among immigrants and non-citizens over how their personal information could be used for immigration enforcement purposes.