DHS announces will deny green cards over aliens' anti-Semitic online activity
The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it will take anti-Semitic social media activity into account when deciding whether or not to give a green card to an applicant.
A press release published on the agency’s website clarifies that the change will 'immediately affect' foreign students who have been linked to anti-Semitic activity.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it will take past anti-Semitic activity on social media into account when deciding whether or not to give a green card to an applicant.
DHS announced on April 9 that it will begin considering “aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.”
The press release published on the agency’s website clarifies that the change will “immediately affect” foreign students who have been linked to anti-Semitic activity.
DHS also explained that it will enforce American immigration laws to the “maximum” extent in order to protect the country from “those who support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies and antisemitic terrorist organizations.”
In a statement included in the press release, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin was unequivocal that there is “no room” in the U.S. for terrorist sympathizers.
“Sec. Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again,” McLaughlin stated. “You are not welcome here.”
Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department has revoked more than 300 student visas of individuals connected to pro-Hamas university demonstrations.
“Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio said. “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist.”
Campus Reform has reported about two pro-Palestine students in particular who face arrest and deportation for visa violations.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement about the visa violations. “When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country.”
DHS and the State Department are not the only agencies that are sounding the alarm on potential terrorist supporters at American universities. Last month, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated that Columbia University should take steps to ensure that terrorist sympathizers are not admitted into the school.
McMahon said that she and Columbia Interim President Katrina Armstrong had “talked about making sure that some of the students were vetted before they were admitted [for] if they did have [a] terrorist background.”
Campus Reform has contacted DHS for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
