The U.S. State Department is reportedly deploying artificial intelligence to identify and revoke the visas of foreign nationals within the United States who are suspected of sympathizing with Hamas or other terrorist groups. This initiative, known as “Catch and Revoke,” aims to scrutinize the social media accounts of foreign students and other visa holders. Officials will assess whether there is evidence of support for Hamas, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, according to a report by Axios.
Anti-Israel protests dominated campuses last year as the US ally fought against Hamas terrorists. James Keivom
The effort will also involve reviewing news articles to identify foreign nationals who have engaged in antisemitic activities. “Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on [date – assumed to be Thursday]. He added that “Violators of US law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation.”
Authorities plan to comb through government databases as well to determine whether the Biden administration allowed any visa holders who had been arrested to remain in the country, the report indicated. A State Department official confirmed that visas could be revoked for “foreign visitors who support terrorists.”
The initiative follows a statement by former President Donald Trump, who declared that all federal funds would be cut off for institutions of higher education that permit “illegal protests.” Trump also stated that “Agitators will be imprisoned/ or permanently sent back to the country from which they came…American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”
Many of the anti-Israel protesters donned masks to conceal their identities. Robert Miller
The State Department’s approach is part of a “whole of government” strategy to combat antisemitism, which includes collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department. One official told Axios that they found “literally zero visa revocations during the Biden administration…which suggests a blind-eye attitude toward law enforcement.” Since October 2023, officials have reviewed the records of 100,000 individuals in the student visa system to determine if the Biden administration had taken any revocation actions.
In 2023, there were approximately 1.5 million active F-1 and M-1 student visas, according to DHS data. Rubio has broad authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to revoke visas of foreigners considered a threat.
As a senator, Rubio had called for the Biden administration to revoke visas in response to the rise in antisemitism across the country following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. In January, following a report by The Post, former President Trump ordered federal agencies to employ “all civil and criminal authorities” to combat antisemitism.
Some critics have expressed concerns about free speech. However, a State Department official argued that it “would be negligent for the department…to ignore publicly available information about [visa] applicants in terms of AI tools.”
House Education Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, stated that dissent is encouraged at campuses for freedom of speech, “but not…[when] that takes away freedom and liberty for a certain set of students and teachers.” Walberg stated that violence and laws such as the Civil Rights Act constitute the red line for protests. “The Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” an official said. “The Department has broad authority to revoke visas under Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). We exercise that authority when information comes to light indicating that a visa holder may be no longer be eligible for a visa.”
