Trump administration will cancel student visas of all 'hamas sympathizers on college campuses,’ the White House has said
Trump to Sign Executive Order Targeting Antisemitism and Pro-Palestinian Protesters
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Wednesday aimed at combating antisemitism and pledging to deport non-citizen college students and others who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, according to a White House official.
A fact sheet on the order outlines “immediate action” by the Justice Department to prosecute “terroristic threats, arson, vandalism, and violence against American Jews”, pledging to mobilize federal resources to combat what it describes as “an explosion of antisemitism on our campuses and streets” following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you," Trump declared in the fact sheet.
He also vowed to revoke student visas for Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, saying universities have been “infested with radicalism like never before.”
Background on the Protests
The Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza led to months of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses. Civil rights groups have reported a rise in antisemitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic incidents.
The executive order will require agency and department leaders to submit recommendations within 60 days on criminal and civil measures that could be used to combat antisemitism. It also mandates “the removal of resident aliens who violate our laws.”
The fact sheet claims that protesters engaged in pro-Hamas vandalism, intimidation, and violence, including blocking Jewish students from classes, assaulting synagogue worshippers, and vandalizing U.S. monuments and statues.
However, many pro-Palestinian demonstrators have denied supporting Hamas or engaging in antisemitic acts, stating their protests were against Israel’s military actions in Gaza, where local health officials report more than 47,000 deaths.
Criticism of the Order
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading Muslim advocacy group, condemned the order as an attack on "free speech and Palestinian humanity under the guise of combating antisemitism."
"This order is dishonest, overbroad, and unenforceable," CAIR said in response.