Civil rights organizations are expressing alarm over reports that the Trump administration is considering the use of artificial intelligence to identify and deport university protesters. This potential policy shift has raised concerns about freedom of speech and the targeting of foreign nationals.
According to reports by Axios, the State Department is exploring the use of AI to “catch and revoke” the visas of foreign students perceived as supporters of Hamas and other designated terrorist groups. This comes as more than a million international students were enrolled in U.S. universities during the 2023-2024 academic year. Federal law enforcement agencies would be tasked with reviewing social media accounts for content deemed sympathetic to terrorist groups. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are reportedly collaborating on this initiative.
Officials are also planning to review internal databases to determine if visa holders have been arrested but permitted to remain in the country. A source familiar with the matter told the outlet that the agency has not revoked any visas during the Biden administration.
Civil rights groups are arguing that such a policy would directly challenge First Amendment protections 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,” stated Abed Ayoub, national 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 American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee also released a statement asserting, “Employing artificial intelligence to track and flag individuals for visa revocation and/or deportation is akin to criminalizing peaceful political expression and dissent.” The organization further noted, “Not since the aftermath of 9/11 has such wide-scale surveillance been directed at non-citizen communities.”
Sarah McLaughlin, senior scholar for global expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, emphasized the potential pitfalls of relying on AI: “AI tools can’t be trusted as experts on the First Amendment or the nuances of speech. Using AI to scour visa holders’ social media for ‘pro-Hamas’ posts and report them to an administration threatening to deport international students for protected speech will undoubtedly encourage self-censorship.”
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 grants the Secretary of State the discretion to revoke visas of foreigners deemed a threat. Senator Marco Rubio has signaled his readiness to use this power, stating, “We see people marching at our universities and in the streets of our country … calling for Intifada, celebrating what Hamas has done … Those people need to go.” These statements came shortly after the October 7 attack by Hamas that resulted in nearly 1,200 deaths.
In related developments, Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Former President Donald Trump has suggested the U.S. occupy and rebuild the territory while displacing its residents, a plan widely denounced as equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
Last week, the Trump administration announced it was pulling $400 million from Columbia University and canceling grants and contracts, citing the school’s alleged failure to combat antisemitism on campus.
The American Civil Liberties Union is urging universities to foster robust discussion and exploration of ideas by students, faculty, and staff, regardless of their nationality or immigration status. They also demand the protection of student privacy and adherence to the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. “It is disturbing to see the White House threatening freedom of speech and academic freedom on U.S. college campuses so blatantly,” said Cecillia Wang, legal director of the ACLU. “We stand in solidarity with university leaders in their commitment to free speech, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus.”
