THE United States has revoked the visas of hundreds of international students and carried out arrests over alleged support for Hamas.
This was revealed by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who said that about 300 students were targeted last week as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown titled, “Catch and Revoke.”
According to Rubio, the programme utilises artificial intelligence to monitor and flag individuals engaged in activism perceived as supporting extremist groups.
Rubio said that beyond students who have physically participated in campus activism, even those who have shared or liked ‘anti-national’ posts on social media have received these email notifications.
The ICIR reports that international students have been receiving emails informing them that their visas have been revoked due to their involvement in campus activism. Some students have been allegedly arrested from campuses by immigration agents, targeted for deportation based on their writings or activism, and detained in federal custody despite having no criminal record.
A doctoral candidate in Africana Studies, Momodou Taal, had his student visa revoked for participating in “disruptive protests” and violating university policies, which US government officials claimed contributed to a hostile environment for Jewish students. After a judge refused to immediately halt his deportation, Taal announced that he was leaving the United States voluntarily.
“I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted,” Taal said on X, adding, “Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms.”
Taal, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and The Gambia, faced backlash for online comments made immediately after the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths.
He tweeted “colonised peoples have the right to resist by any means necessary” and “Glory to the resistance!”
Shortly after, the United States directed consular offices to expand screening procedures for student visa applicants, including thorough social media investigations, to bar individuals deemed to support terrorism.
The consular has introduced a new standard for visa denials based on a broad interpretation of support for “terrorist activity.”
Additionally, applicants for F (academic study visas), M (vocational study visas), or J (exchange visas) will also be subject to social media scrutiny.
According to the TOI report, those deemed ineligible under these criteria will be denied the opportunity to study in the United States.
According to the directive, an applicant may be denied a visa if there is evidence that they advocate for terrorist activity or express public approval or support for a terrorist organisation.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.