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The US State Department is set to revoke the visas of foreign students flagged by artificial intelligence for allegedly supporting Hamas, according to a report by Axios. The move is part of a broader effort to combat antisemitism and target individuals perceived as engaging in extremist activities.
The initiative, reportedly driven by AI-assisted reviews, will scrutinize the social media activity of tens of thousands of student visa holders. The reviews will also extend to news reports covering past protests against Israel’s policies, as well as legal complaints from Jewish students alleging antisemitic behavior by foreign nationals.
AI Monitoring and Potential Concerns
The Biden administration has framed this as a measure to curb extremism, but critics argue that AI-driven surveillance could result in misidentifications, privacy violations, and suppression of free speech.
“This should concern all Americans. This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue, and the administration will overplay its hand,” said Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “Americans won’t like this. They’ll view this as capitulating free speech rights for a foreign nation.”
The State Department is reportedly collaborating with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security on this effort. However, none of these agencies have officially commented on the initiative.
Trump’s Influence and Response to Campus Protests
The decision aligns with policies advocated by former President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in January aimed at combating antisemitism. Trump has also vowed to deport non-citizen students involved in pro-Palestinian protests amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
“Agitators will be imprisoned or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or arrested,” Trump said on Tuesday.
His comments have raised concerns among civil rights groups, who see them as an attack on constitutionally protected freedoms. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has warned universities against bowing to federal pressure to punish students for participating in campus protests.
“It is disturbing to see the White House threatening freedom of speech and academic freedom on US college campuses so blatantly,” said Cecillia Wang, legal director of the ACLU. “Trump’s latest coercion campaign, attempting to turn university administrators against their own students and faculty, harkens back to the McCarthy era and is at odds with American constitutional values.”
The Broader Context
Hamas, designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the US, carried out an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza, which has so far killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The war has led to accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.
With US campuses becoming a focal point of pro-Palestinian protests, the Biden administration’s AI-driven visa revocation program is likely to intensify debates over free speech, civil liberties, and the US government’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Gill Bikram Singh