The U.S. State Department has revoked the visa of a foreign student linked to what officials described as "Hamas-supporting disruptions" on a college campus, marking the first known case under the Biden administration's expanded enforcement efforts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now proceeding with the student's removal from the country, a State Department spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
"We revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions," the spokesperson said. Neither the student's name nor nationality was disclosed, nor was the college where the individual was enrolled.
The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign students engaged in anti-Israel demonstrations, with the administration citing national security concerns. President Trump recently warned that any educational institution permitting "illegal protests" could face funding cuts. His administration has also threatened to revoke over $50 million in federal contracts from Columbia University over its handling of protests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the government is expanding its efforts to track foreign nationals' involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations. "Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists," Rubio said Thursday.
The crackdown includes a new initiative called "Catch and Revoke," an AI-powered program aimed at monitoring social media accounts of foreign students. According to senior officials, the system will analyze tens of thousands of accounts to flag potential expressions of support for Hamas. The effort will also involve reviewing internal databases, news reports, and lawsuits filed by Jewish students that cite foreign nationals engaged in antisemitic behavior.
A senior State Department official emphasized that AI will play a key role in the process. "It would be negligent for the department that takes national security seriously to ignore publicly available information about applicants in terms of AI tools," the official said. The initiative is being coordinated with the Justice and Homeland Security departments in what officials describe as a "whole-of-government approach."
The push to revoke visas follows a review of the Student Exchange Visitor System, which tracks over 100,000 foreign students in the U.S. Officials claim that during the Biden administration, "literally zero visa revocations" occurred despite multiple arrests linked to campus protests. "...which suggests a blind-eye attitude toward law enforcement," one senior official said.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the Secretary of State has the authority to revoke visas for individuals deemed a threat to national security. Following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Trump and Rubio have advocated for a stricter approach toward foreign nationals engaging in anti-Israel demonstrations. "We see people marching at our universities and in the streets of our country ... calling for Intifada, celebrating what Hamas has done ... Those people need to go," Rubio said.
The administration's stance has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. "This should concern all Americans. This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue, and the administration will overplay its hand," said Abed Ayoub, the group's director. He compared the initiative to Operation Boulder, a 1972 program in which the Nixon administration surveilled pro-Palestinian activists. "With the advent of AI, it's even scarier because they're policing speech and using faulty technology," Ayoub added.
Despite concerns over free speech, a senior White House adviser defended the move. "We're not doing this for the polling, but it never hurts to be on the right side of an issue," the adviser said, pointing to surveys showing that voters generally disapprove of rallies critical of Israel. The administration's enforcement measures reflect Trump's longstanding pro-Israel stance, a position popular among evangelical voters.
