President Donald Trump has ordered the deportation of foreign students who participated in pro-Hamas protests on US college campuses.
Under a new executive order, resident aliens, including students on visas, who engaged in unlawful activities during demonstrations after the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, will be targeted. Trump stated he would direct the Justice Department to “aggressively prosecute terroristic threats, arson, vandalism, and violence against American Jews.”
He emphasized, “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice… we will find you, and we will deport you.” Trump also pledged to swiftly cancel student visas for Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which he described as being “infested with radicalism.”
This order follows a series of measures Trump has taken since becoming President, fulfilling his campaign promises. Many universities, notably Columbia University in New York City, were sites for pro-Palestinian protests during the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. The protesting students called for universities to sever ties with Israel and for the US to halt military support for Israel.
Trump’s new order mandates that government agency leaders have 60 days to submit recommendations to the White House on identifying anti-Semitic threats. This action comes as President Trump prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week, marking the first visit by a foreign leader during Trump’s second term. The new executive order is Trump’s second on anti-Semitism, following one last week calling for the removal of foreign visa holders who advocate for or support terrorism and other national security threats.
During a rally in New Jersey last May, Trump vowed: “When I am president, we will not allow our colleges to be taken over by violent radicals. And if you come here from another country and try to bring jihadism, anti-Americanism, or anti-Semitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you.”
