Trump ordered a review to identify, penalize, and deport pro-Palestinian foreigners. This includes foreign students in the US on educational visas.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to identify “all civil and criminal remedies” to combat antisemitism. This includes finding ways to deport activists who have violated the law against Jews. included.
According to this order first reported by The New York Post, leaders of federal agencies and departments must present recommendations to the White House within 60 days. Additionally, the Department of Justice was tasked with devising a plan to investigate graffiti and threats supporting HAMAS, including situations in university campuses.
“Jewish students are facing constant harassment; they are being excluded from common campus areas such as libraries and study halls; subject to intimidation, pressure, physical threats, and assaults,” the order states.
“It is the policy of the US to fight antisemitism decisively using all available and relevant legal mechanisms, and individuals involved in unlawful antisemitic pressure and violence will be held accountable, deported, or subjected to other measures.”
According to the order, foreign citizens, including students on visas who violated laws during anti-Israel protests that led to the launching of war on Gaza following the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, must be deported.
The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Homeland Security in their reports must include recommendations regarding the non-admission of foreigners to higher educational institutions (HEIs) on security grounds as per Section 1182(a)(3) of the 8 U.S.C..
“These universities are required to monitor the activities of foreign students and staff, provide necessary reports when needed, and assist in the investigation and exclusion measures according to the law,” the order mentions.
The Republican-controlled White House's six committees last month submitted a report urging the federal government to intensify the fight against antisemitism. This includes restricting federal financial assistance to HEIs that do not implement strict policies against pressure on Jews.
Special attention was given to Columbia University in the report, where the largest number of demonstrations against the genocide of Palestinians by Israel was recorded. It also highlighted that universities considered to have engaged in antisemitic actions received $2.7 billion from the federal budget for the fiscal year 2023.
The report by Republicans in Congress suggests that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security under the Biden administration obstructed inquiries into how many participating students were visa holders in these demonstrations.
Throughout his campaign, Trump demanded the deportation of foreign students who were supporters of HAMAS. Last week, he signed another order aimed at this purpose.
The order includes a clause to “ensure that foreigners admitted and residing in the US do not support officially recognized foreign terrorist groups," though how exactly this statement will legally impact is yet to be clarified.
When university leaders were summoned to Congress in December 2023 and were questioned by Republican Representative Elise Stefanik (New York) about whether calls for the genocide of Jews should be punished or not, they declined to answer, justifying it with freedom of speech.
Abdullah Sayyid
