President Donald Trump has issued an order to deport foreign students who participated in pro-Hamas protests on U.S. college campuses.
The new executive order targets resident aliens, including students with visas, who broke laws during demonstrations after the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Trump directed the Justice Department to “aggressively prosecute terroristic threats, arson, vandalism, and violence against American Jews.”
He stated: “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.”
Additionally, he vowed to quickly cancel the student visas of any Hamas sympathizers on U.S. campuses, which he described as “infested with radicalism like never before.”
This executive order is part of a broader series of actions Trump has taken during his presidency to fulfill campaign promises. Last year, several universities, including Columbia University in New York City, saw pro-Palestinian protests amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, with students demanding that their schools sever ties with Israel and that the U.S. end military support for the country.
Trump’s latest order also requires government leaders to submit recommendations to the White House within 60 days on how to identify and address anti-Semitic threats.
This executive order follows a similar one signed by Trump last week, which focused on removing foreign visa holders who “advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security.”
In a May rally in New Jersey, Trump had promised, “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 or anti-Americanism or anti-Semitism to our campuses, we will immediately deport you.”
