Washington:
The US immigration authorities have announced that they will screen social media accounts and deny visas or residence permits to individuals who post anti-Semitic content.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is an agency of the Homeland Security Department, said it will begin considering “aliens’ antisemitic activity” on social media and the “physical harassment” of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests
The policy will be effective immediately and apply to student visas and requests for permanent resident “green cards” to stay in the US, it said in a statement.
Posts defined as anti-Semitic will include social media activity in support of groups classified by the US as terrorists, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
“USCIS will consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests,” the agency said.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said there was “no room” in the US for the “rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers”.
“We are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” she said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism — think again. You are not welcome here,” Ms McLaughlin added.
Donald Trump’s Tough Stance
Since coming to power in January, President Donald Trump has deported some foreign students, has revoked multiple visas and has warned universities of federal funding cuts over pro-Palestinian protests.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late last month that he has revoked visas for some 300 people and was doing so on a daily basis.
“It might be more than 300 at this point. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” the top US diplomat said on March 27.
One of the most high-profile deportation cases is pro-Palestinian demonstrator Mahmoud Khalil, who led protests at Columbia University in New York last year.
Khalil, a native of Syria and citizen of Algeria, entered the US on a student visa in 2022 and later filed to become a permanent resident in 2024.
(With agency inputs)