In a recent move to combat rising anti-Semitism, former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a decisive executive order targeting foreign students and participants in pro-Palestinian protests.
The order empowers federal authorities to deport international students who take part in demonstrations viewed as anti-Israel, marking a significant step in the administration’s broader crackdown on campus activities linked to groups like Hamas.
Signed in late January 2025, the directive calls on federal agencies to identify and potentially revoke visas of non-citizen students involved in such protests. The administration points to immigration laws that allow deportation of non-citizens who “endorse or espouse” designated terrorist organizations—Hamas having held that designation since 1997.v
