In recent weeks, more than 1,500 international undergraduate and graduate students from over 240 colleges have had their J-1 or F-1 visas revoked by Washington without notifying students or their respective universities. The revocations mean the students will not be permitted to finish their studies in person and will have to return to their home countries.
A J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to professors, research scholars and cultural exchange visitors intended for people doing business or medical training. A F-1 visa, on the other hand, is a non-immigrant visa for students from other countries which allows them to pursue their education at American universities and colleges.
The schools became aware of these changes to the students’ legal statuses by checking international student records contained in the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
Middle East Eye reported that at least three universities received no prior notice about the visa cancellations and were not informed of any reasons for the students’ legal status terminations.
As the outlet noted, “But terminating a record in the SEVIS system doesn’t necessarily mean the individual’s immigrant status in the country has been terminated. All of the revocations share a common thread – none of the students have been charged with a crime.”
Al Jazeera notes that “Many of the targets of the visa revocations and arrests are students who participated in pro-Palestine protests… Others are individuals with more indirect links to Palestine – or those who have shown support for Gaza on social media.”
Beyond the highly publicized cases of Palestinian protesters Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, both Columbia students and green card holders, as well as Turkish national and Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk and others who have been persecuted for their antiwar work, Drop Site News reports that many non-activist students are now facing deportation over arrest records, even if they were never convicted. In some cases, visas have been revoked over minor infractions such as speeding tickets and other traffic violations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been utilizing an immigration act, which has been seldomly invoked, to remove student activists, claiming their presence in the United States poses a threat to Washington’s foreign policy goals. This includes continued support for Israel’s genocidal campaign against the Palestinians, most notably in the besieged Gaza Strip where well over 100,000 men, women, and children have been slaughtered and maimed.
Rubio declared last month that international students participating in protests on college campuses and other activism will have their visas revoked. “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campus. We’ve given you a visa and you decide to do that – we’re going to take it away,” he boasted. “At some point, I hope we run out because we’ve gotten rid of all of them, but we’re looking every day for these lunatics that are tearing things up.”
Despite Rubio’s characterization of these students “tearing things up,” thus far it appears the students are not being forced out of the country for crimes committed but rather for their involvement in activism against the bipartisan support for war crimes in Palestine.
A massive movement of protests on college campuses erupted last year in response to President Joe Biden’s unconditional support for the Israeli war on Gaza and across the region. Although the movement has been smeared as anti-Jewish in character by Israel supporters inside and outside the government, groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now maintained a huge presence, on and off campus, among the protesters.
Trump’s administration appears to be rounding up foreign activists who opposed Biden’s genocidal policies in Palestine which Trump has inherited and predictably escalated. The current White House has ramped up the bombing campaign in Yemen and launched a build up for war with Iran.
Amir Makled, an attorney based in Michigan representing high-profile pro-Palestinian protesters’ cases, told MEE “What we’re seeing and what we’re witnessing is a coordinated effort to punish student protesting, especially when it comes to pro-Palestinian protests. This used to be very protected political dissent.” He added students are being targeted for their constitutionally protected speech. Makled also noted that immigration lawyers are being targeted concurrently by the administration.
In April, he was interrogated by immigration authorities after returning from a family trip to the Dominican Republic. “I was detained at the border simply because I’m representing a student protester. It was raised in my interview, during my interrogation, that they knew that I was an attorney representing high-profile student protester cases. These are intimidation tactics, attempts by the government to try to dissuade advocates from taking on these roles.”
Connor Freeman is the assistant editor and a writer at the Libertarian Institute, primarily covering foreign policy. He is a co-host on the Conflicts of Interest podcast. His writing has been featured in media outlets such as Antiwar.com, Counterpunch, and the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He has also appeared on Liberty Weekly, Around the Empire, and Parallax Views. You can follow him on Twitter @FreemansMind96.
What's old is new again: McCarthyism
1932 is quickly turning into 1933, Time flies in the fourth reich eh kiddies?
Lots of similarities. But don't forget dictators always rise when a country is in trouble or looking like it is going off the cliff. The Democrats made it easy for trump to rise and take over. And they are still doubling down on the same old stuff.
Napoleon rose to power after the French Revolution turned into a slaughter fest with each other. Hitler rose after Germany was in tire straights after WWI. High inflation, no jobs, no pride, depression and misery and in steps a "savior".
The majority of the masses are always behind those dictators because in the beginning they do deliver and once people wake up it is often too late.
" threat to Washington’s foreign policy goals." So war crimes and crimes against humanity are now GOALS>??? das, das mein orange leader…
Haven’t they been already? Mask off.
“Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into Our Country.
“Happy Easter also to the WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials who are allowing this sinister attack on our Nation to continue, an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten!”
Oh, and you guessed it, he also went after Biden again.
He continued: “Sleepy Joe Biden purposefully allowed Millions of CRIMINALS to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Borders Policy that will go down in history as the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America.
“He was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
“But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!”
Here's a few other blasts from the past. Notice a theme?
“Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail, because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Happy Memorial day everyone “But especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they love, and to those in line of a very different, but equally dangerous fire, stopping the threats of the terrorists, misfits and lunatic thugs who are working feverishly from within to overturn and destroy our once great country, which has never been in greater peril than it is right now. We must stop the communists, Marxists and fascist ‘pigs’ at every turn and, Make America Great Again!”
"Merry Christmas to EVERYONE, including the Radical Left Marxists that are trying to destroy our Country, the Federal Bureau of Investigation that is illegally coercing & paying Social and LameStream Media to push for a mentally disabled Democrat over the Brilliant, Clairvoyant, and USA LOVING Donald J. Trump, and, of course, The Department of Injustice, which appointed a Special "Prosecutor" who, together with his wife and family, HATES "Trump" more than any other person on earth. LOVE TO ALL!"
“Happy Mother’s Day to ALL, in particular the Mothers, Wives and Lovers of the Radical Left Fascists, Marxists, and Communists who are doing everything within their power to destroy and obliterate our once great Country,” Trump wrote. “Please make these complete Lunatics and Maniacs Kinder, Gentler, Softer and, most importantly, Smarter, so that we can, quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
And there are people that voted for this fucking trash 3 times!!!
No brain, no heart, no soul,small hands with fake hair and fake tan,golly what america craves for it seems…
Don' t forget the fake golden chairs and fake golden adornments all over when he has "transparent" meetings with foreign dignitaries.
It's all for show.
Trump is literally a deep dark hole of faux empty ego that nothing can ever fill.So sad,sorta…His daddy despised him, abused him and and hated that the son he loved (fred) died and donny lived…It feeds on donny every day in every thing he does. Watch him at his cabinet meetings as each one tries to feed the bottomless well of his ego…It is amazing to watch, and dangerous for the rest of us…
Absolutely! But he is not going anywhere soon. The Republicans in congress and in his cabinet are either afraid of him or are part of the grifting. MAGA in general especially the Evangelicals have a cultish adoration for him.
Next week marks Trump’s 100th day of his second term. And in just three months, we’ve seen devastating carnage. Here are just a few things Trump has done in his first 100 days:
Signed over 100 sweeping executive orders – more than any modern president – including orders to deregulate fossil fuel use and endanger our planet.
Wiped out environmental justice policies going back 30 years.
Reinvigorated a “God Squad” with the power to approve energy projects even if they could push vulnerable species to extinction.
Empowered an unelected billionaire to illegally fire thousands of civil servants, and gut or eliminate entire agencies
Pardoned 1,500 people who participated in the January 6 Capitol riot, including those charged with violent offenses
Began plans to send 10,000 troops to the border and to shut off access to political asylum.
…and that’s just a start.
Sending the criminals back won't happen because the Dems. will tie it up in courts for years. You know how slow and inefficient the US (no) justice system takes.
Yeah, fuck due process, right?
Lawyers who become legislators complicate simple things to enrich themselves.
And?
Expanding and extending ‘due process’ is one of the ways they enrich themselves. Tie it up and bring in those hourly fees. The American no – justice system is based on greed. That includes the courts and everything connected to it.
So, who do we leave it up to that gets to decide who gets due process and who doesn’t? Or do we just eliminate it?
That’s something the legislators should do, but they won’t, it would cost them money. Illegals and the no justice system are a symbiosis to enrich the lawyers. Qui bono?
Must be given due process of law.
Fifth Amendment (applies to federal government): “No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
If this is not dictatorship… I don't know what is…!?
A U.S. Visa can be revoked for any reason; or no reason at all; by the U.S. Dept. Of State. States so right in the application. 1-2k Visas are revoked every year. Many thousands more expire on their due dates; with the Visa holder remaining in the country.
It would be so much simpler if the US Department of State just followed the Constitution, which forbids the federal government to regulate immigration.
The U.S. Constitution SPECIFICALY gives the Federal government the power to control the border; AND who crosses to and fro. One of the few powers it actually delegates to the Federal govt. It would be simpler; if you would learn to read.
Wow, SPECIFICALLY? Feel free to point to where.
In point of fact, Article I Section 9 forbade the federal government to regulate immigration prior to 1808, Article V forbade amending the Constitution to change that prior to 1808, and Amendment X requires a constitutional amendment to create any such power after 1808.
“any of the States now existing”. Doesn’t apply to the other 38 states. Does your Mommie know you are playing on her computer again?
Not even a good try. In the absence of a constitutional amendment creating a federal power to regulate immigration, the Tenth Amendment says that that power devolves to the states, or to the people.
I don’t put much stock in someone who couldn’t even get Ron Paul into the White House. It’s possible that you are even to blame for that failure.
How can I have "failed" to do something that I've never tried to do and never had any interest in doing?
This is only a step towards the gov. telling us what to say and even what to think. 1984 is the policy manual of Wash., the EU and Globalism.
This will hit universities in the pocketbook for sure as foreign students dwindle. They have been a boon for quite a while as their numbers increased and they generally pay full tuition which is not the case for a lot of Americans. I went to grad school 12 years ago and more than half of my classes were foreign students.