President Donald Trump has signed an executive order promising that the federal government will prosecute antisemitic crimes and deport students who participated in “pro-jihadist” protests.
The executive order, signed on Wednesday, gave the head of every executive agency 60 days to review and present potential actions to combat antisemitism on university campuses.
“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” stated Trump in a fact sheet. “I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose department is charged with overseeing the issuance of visas, said that the department would deny and revoke visas for those discovered to be Hamas supporters.
In April, over 30 students were arrested for physically assaulting and threatening staff, establishing encampments, and vandalizing property during a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Texas at Austin.
Before the protests, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order requiring institutions of higher education to establish appropriate punishments for students who espouse antisemitic rhetoric.
International students participated in and were arrested at the UT Austin protest, according to student newspaper The Daily Texan. It is unclear if Trump’s executive order solely targets international students who have been arrested and charged for their participation in the riotous events.
