The State Department announced an initiative to cancel the visas of foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other organizations designated as terrorist groups, a welcome addition to President Donald Trump’s “revolution of common sense.”
The effort will include an AI-fueled review of tens of thousands of social media accounts belonging to individuals in the Student Exchange Visitor System. Known as “Catch and Revoke,” the program will search for evidence of activism in support of Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that killed 1,200 innocent Israelis.
“Yesterday evening, we revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions,” State Department officials said Thursday. “This individual was a university student. ICE will proceed with removing this person from the country.”
Despite the outcry from the Left, this shift is long overdue. The United States owes no one the privilege of residing within its borders for an extended period of time to study at one of its many prestigious universities. Millions each year from around the globe claw for this golden ticket, which is, at least theoretically, awarded following a vigorous vetting process. This includes security and background checks for criminal records, past overstays in the U.S., and ties to terrorist groups. This is not meant to be a forgiving process, and officers are supposed to have wide discretion regarding possible “red flags” that emerge from this process.
It is the height of common sense that “red flags” in relation to terrorism and sympathies for terrorist organizations should be taken seriously.
And what could be a clearer “red flag” than public expressions of support for Hamas, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a mass terrorism incident? Hamas, after all, was designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department in 1997. The U.S. is not alone in this regard: Canada, New Zealand, and other Western nations have designated it as a terrorist organization as well.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has long been an advocate of this move. On Oct. 14, 2023, Rubio responded to the pro-Hamas campus protests by saying, “America is the most generous nation on earth, but we cannot allow foreign nationals who support terrorist groups like Hamas and march in our streets calling for ‘intifada’ to enter or stay in our country.” Now, Rubio possesses the authority to revoke visas from foreigners who are considered a threat.
The “Catch and Revoke” initiative is a stark departure from the previous administration’s approach to ensuring the practical and legal priorities of U.S. immigration policy. Incredibly, the State Department reviewed over 100,000 student visas during the Biden administration, and none were revoked. It beggars belief that not a single “red flag” emerged during the span that did not warrant revocation, regarding sympathy for terrorists or otherwise.
Criticism of the move from the Left came pouring in following the announcement. There has been particular consternation about the “chilling effect” it would have on student visa holders.
“This should concern all Americans,” said Abed Ayoub, head of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue and the administration will overplay its hand. Americans won’t like this. They’ll view this as capitulating free speech rights for a foreign nation.”
STUDENTS ARE PUSHING BACK ON CANCEL CULTURE
Of course, it is laughable to suggest that Americans will care about the “free speech rights of a foreign nation,” and it underscores how out of touch the Left is with mainstream American values. A YouGov poll from May 2024 found that only 28% of Americans supported pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses. It is far more likely that Americans share the Trump administration’s view that public safety, particularly safety for Jewish students on American campuses, should supersede the speech rights of foreign nationals.
As for where to move next, we would recommend the State Department look into the scene outside Ohio State University’s Hillel, where a mob harassed Jewish students and shouted for a “global intifada.” If any of those students are here on a visa, it’s time they are shown the door.