Education secretary vows Trump admin won’t ‘tolerate’ antisemitism on college campuses
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now start considering migrants’ antisemitic activity on social media as “grounds for denying immigration benefit requests,” with Homeland Security vowing there is “no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers.”
Homeland Security announced Wednesday that the change will “immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity.”
“Today U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin considering aliens’ antisemitic activity on social media and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests,” it said.
“Consistent with President Trump’s executive orders on Combatting Anti-Semitism, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism and Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats, DHS will enforce all relevant immigration laws to the maximum degree, to protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies and antisemitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, or Ansar Allah aka: ‘the Houthis,’” the agency added.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT QUESTIONED FORMER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT OVER ANTISEMITISM
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
The development comes as the Trump administration is trying to crack down on antisemitism – particularly on college campuses – that has been brewing since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.
“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement.
PRINCETON EVENT WITH FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER DISRUPTED BY ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS
The Homeland Security flag on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Washington, D.C., in January 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“Sec. [Kristi] Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for antisemitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here,” she added.
Students attending a recent annual Israel block party at the University of Texas at Austin were met with disruptive anti-Israel protesters. (Fox News)
Under the new guidance, Homeland Security said 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.”
