House Republicans are demanding the State Department and Department of Homeland Security expel student visa holders who endorse or espouse “terrorist activity” or persuade others to “endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization,” citing demonstrations “in support of Hamas, a designated 'foreign terrorist organization,'” following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“These demonstrations potentially involve student visa holders,” Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, along with 17 other GOP lawmakers, wrote in a letter addressed to DOS Secretary Antony Blinken and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at Tufts University issued a statement praising Hamas terrorists as ‘liberation fighters’ who, in their murderous attack on Israeli civilians, had shown ‘the creativity necessary to take back stolen land,'” the letter reads. “The SJP chapter at Swarthmore praised Hamas terrorists for having ‘valiantly confronted the imperial apparatus’ of Israel and honored the Hamas terrorists who died during the assault as ‘martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for liberation.'”
The lawmakers said while foreign students contribute much to our society, “individuals who advocate terrorist violence against civilians are not welcome here.
“If a visa was issued before DHS uncovers evidence of a visa-holder’s ineligibility under INA s.212(a)(3)B), in the interest of national security, the individual in question should immediately have their visa revoked and face expedited deportation proceedings.”
More than 3,700 people have been killed and more than 13,000 injured in Gaza since the war started. In Israel, 1,400 people have been killed and 3,500 have been wounded.