A foreign student who was linked to “Hamas-supporting disruptions” has had their visa pulled after President Donald Trump promised to hold those responsible for anti-Israel protests on college campuses.
According to the New York Post, a statement from the State Department obtained by Fox News Thursday, said the student had their visa pulled for “criminal behavior” related to the Hamas protests.
“We revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions,” a State Department spokesperson said. “This individual was a university student. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] will proceed with removing this person from the country.”
The Post further reported that the student’s name and nationality had been withheld due to “legal constraints,” and the statement also didn’t elaborate on where the student attended college, or what protest they had participated in.
The Trump administration had recently announced they would be withholding federal funds to educational institutions that allowed “illegal protests.” Those caught participating in anti-Israel protests could be unmasked and even face time in prison.
The administration promised to revoke more than $50 million in government contracts from Columbia University due to the school not doing anything to prevent students from protesting.
It was also reported that the State Department is planning to use artificial intelligence to identify foreigners present in the U.S. who support the terrorist group and revoke their visas.
Dubbed the “Catch and Revoke,” officials will be sweeping through the social media accounts of foreign students on visas to assess whether there is evidence they support Hamas, who carried out a terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday. “Violators of US law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation.”
