Key Points
- Foreign students to face visa denial.
- President Donald Trump signs an executive order to combat antisemitism.
- Students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests may face deportation.
- Trump says all federal funding for schools must stop that allow illegal protests.
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that foreign nationals staying in the country who support the Palestinian group Hamas or other terrorist outfits will face visa denial or deportation.
“The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists,” he wrote on X, adding that those who support designated terrorist organisations, including Hamas, threaten our national security.
“Violators of US law—including international students—face visa denial or revocation, and deportation,” he said.
Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 6, 2025
The decision follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month aimed at combating antisemitism. The order establishes a framework that could potentially lead to the deportation of students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests in the US.
Critics contend that the order is designed to suppress pro-Palestine demonstrations, both on university campuses and in public spaces nationwide, while also influencing public perceptions of Israel.
ALSO READ: Hamas Says Trump’s ‘Dead’ Threat to Gaza Undermines Ceasefire
According to Axios news website, citing senior State Department officials, a new initiative called “Catch and Revoke” will use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to scan the social media accounts of tens of thousands of foreign student visa holders. The programme aims to determine if any individuals have expressed support for Hamas following the group’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
State Department revokes first visa of foreign student
The State Department on Thursday revoked the visa of a student who participated in protesting in favour of Hamas.
“Yesterday evening, we revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behaviour in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions,” the State Department said. “This individual was a university student. ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] will proceed with removing this person from the country.”
The move is in line with President Donald Trump’s call for cancelling visas of students involved in the anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses.
The Biden administration reviewed over 100,000 student visas, yet none were revoked, even amid the protests and disruptions on college campuses related to anti-Israel sentiments. However, President Trump has repeatedly called for the revocation of visas for foreign students attending US universities if they express support for Hamas or other terrorist organisations.
On his Truth Social media platform, Trump said that “all federal funding will STOP” for schools that permit students to protest illegally. Trump’s announcement comes less than a year after large-scale student protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza erupted across US college campuses, including at Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
