The United States has unveiled a new immigration policy intended to combat anti-Semitism, announcing that individuals who share hateful or extremist content targeting Jewish people on social media may be denied visas or permanent residency.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), affirmed it will start considering online activity that supports anti-Semitic ideologies or groups that are designated as terrorist organizations.
These include Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. These activities, the agency states, may render applicants ineligible to receive student visas, green cards, or other immigration benefits.
In its press release, USCIS underscored that any endorsement, support, or encouragement of anti-Semitic terrorism or groups on social media will be considered a serious adverse factor in immigration consideration.
"USCIS will view social media posts that reflect an alien endorsing, advocating, promoting, or condoning antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist groups, or other antisemitic activity as an adverse factor in any USCIS discretionary consideration in deciding immigration benefit requests," the agency said.
Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, echoed the department's zero-tolerance stance when she told a gathering that "There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world's terrorist sympathizers. We are under no obligation to admit them or allow them to remain here.
She also reinforced words spoken by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, stating: "Anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism — think again. You are not welcome here."
Trump Administration's Aggressive Measures
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has taken a hardline approach on immigration, with special focus on those who engage in or are supportive of anti-Israel or pro-terrorist sentiments. Numerous foreign students have been deported and numerous visas have been revoked. The administration has also threatened the reduction of federal funding to colleges where pro-Palestinian rallies have broken out.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month publicly disclosed that he personally denied visas to hundreds of people. "It could be over 300 by now. We do it daily. Whenever I come across one of these crazies, I deny their visas," Rubio told March 27.
One of the best-known deportations is that of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian protest leader at Columbia University. A Syrian-born Algerian citizen, Khalil arrived in the U.S. on a student visa in 2022 and then sought permanent residency in 2024.
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