Trump Targets Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters with Visa Crackdown, Sparking Legal Battles and Free Speech Concerns
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, vowing to cancel student visas and deport non-citizen participants.
The order, announced Wednesday, directs the Justice Department to take “immediate action” against what it calls a surge in antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. It promises federal prosecutions for “terroristic threats, arson, vandalism, and violence against American Jews.”
“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,” Trump stated in a fact sheet on the order. He also pledged to “quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses.”
Free Speech Concerns Spark Backlash
Legal experts and civil rights groups argue the move could violate First Amendment protections.
“The Constitution protects political speech for everyone in the U.S., including international students,”
said Carrie DeCell of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has indicated it may challenge the order in court, calling it a “blatant attack on free speech.”
Protests and Rising Tensions
Months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations have swept U.S. campuses since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, with participants arguing they are protesting Israel’s military actions, not supporting Hamas. However, the Trump administration’s order seeks to crack down on protests it claims have fueled antisemitic incidents.
The directive requires agencies to submit recommendations within 60 days on legal actions that could be used against students and faculty involved in campus protests. It also calls for an inventory of court cases related to alleged civil rights violations linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Maya Berry of the Arab American Institute warned the order risks “silencing dissent” by equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
With legal battles looming, the policy is set to be a flashpoint in ongoing debates over free speech, student activism, and U.S. immigration policy.
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