Key points
- The policy is to be enforced immediately
- Around 300 individuals had their visas revoked: Marco Rubio
ISLAMABAD: US immigration authorities announced on Wednesday that they will scrutinise social media accounts and deny visas or residency permits to individuals who post content deemed anti-Semitic by the Trump administration.
Online activity supporting organisations designated by the United States as terrorist groups—such as Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen—will be classified as anti-Semitic under the new guidelines, according to Dawn.
Allegations of anti-Semitism have been used by far-right groups and their supporters to stonewall any criticism of Israeli military aggression and human rights violations by the Israeli Defense Forces and to silence pro-peace and anti-war effort.
This decision follows the administration’s controversial cancellation of visas for students already residing in the US, where the First Amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of speech.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made it clear that individuals who aim to exploit the First Amendment to incite anti-Semitic violence or support terrorism will not be tolerated. “You are not welcome here,” said department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement, according to NDTV.
Social media posts
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that social media posts endorsing, promoting, or supporting anti-Semitic organisations will be treated as a negative factor when assessing immigration benefits.
The policy is to be enforced immediately and will apply to student visas as well as applications for permanent residency (commonly referred to as “green cards”).
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that around 300 individuals have had their visas revoked, with more being cancelled daily. He emphasised that non-citizens do not enjoy the same rights as Americans and that decisions regarding visas are at his discretion, not that of the courts.
Forceful deportations
Some of those affected claims they never expressed anti-Jewish sentiment and suggest they were targeted simply for being present at protests.
One of the most prominent deportation cases involves Mahmoud Khalil, who led demonstrations at Columbia University in New York. Despite being a lawful permanent resident, he was transferred to Louisiana ahead of deportation proceedings, according to the Times of India.
The Trump administration has also cut millions of dollars in federal funding to top US universities, accusing them of failing to adequately address anti-Semitism during campus protests sparked by the Gaza conflict.
