Trump Orders Crackdown on Antisemitism, Targeting Visa Holders and Protesters

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President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order Wednesday directing federal agencies to identify all civil and criminal measures available to combat antisemitism, including potential deportation for non-citizens involved in anti-Jewish activities.

 

According to a document outlining the order, agency and department leaders will have 60 days to provide recommendations to the White House. The Justice Department is expected to investigate pro-Hamas graffiti and acts of intimidation, particularly on college campuses, as part of the administration’s broader effort.

 

The executive order specifically calls for the deportation of resident aliens, including international students on visas, who have violated laws during anti-Israel protests following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that led to the war in Gaza. A recent report from six Republican-led House committees urged stronger federal action against antisemitism, including the possibility of conditioning federal funding to universities on stricter policies addressing anti-Jewish bias.

 

The report heavily criticized Columbia University, where a large encampment featured documented instances of antisemitic rhetoric targeting Jewish students and pro-Israel activists. The report also noted that some universities accused of allowing antisemitic activity received $2.7 billion in federal funds during the 2023 fiscal year.

 

Columbia University still a safe haven for people who hate Jews. On the first day of class Hamas supporters invaded a History of Modern Israel Class. Harassing the professor and the students.

Columbia University still a safe haven for people who hate Jews. On the first day of class Hamas supporters invaded a History of Modern Israel Class. Harassing the professor and the students.

So proud of the students in this class for mocking them

pic.twitter.com/I7ltPLpcAv

— Տᗩᑎᗪᖇᗩ🎗️ (@SandraXFreedom) January 22, 2025

 

The House GOP report accused the Biden administration, particularly the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, of obstructing records requests regarding the number of visa holders involved in anti-Israel protests.

 

During his campaign, Trump called for the deportation of pro-Hamas students in the U.S. on visas, a stance reinforced last week by an executive order aimed at addressing national security concerns. That order included language asserting that the U.S. must "ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States” do not support designated foreign terrorist organizations, though the precise legal implications remain unclear.

 

The issue of free speech protections has been a focal point in the debate. During a congressional hearing in December 2023, university presidents faced intense scrutiny from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trump’s nominee for UN ambassador, after refusing to state whether calls for the genocide of Jews constituted punishable conduct. Their responses suggested concerns over First Amendment protections.

 

Although hate speech is generally legal in the U.S., the recent House GOP report argues that federal law prohibits institutions receiving taxpayer funds from tolerating discrimination, potentially allowing the government to enforce stricter policies against antisemitism.

 

Legal precedents also suggest that non-citizens have fewer speech protections than U.S. citizens. The 1972 Supreme Court case Kleindienst v. Mandel upheld the government's right to deny a visa to a Belgian Marxist, and prior rulings have affirmed the deportation of non-citizens affiliated with anarchist and Communist movements.

 

Some of the most visible pro-Hamas activism in the U.S. occurred in Washington, D.C., where demonstrators carried banners in support of the group as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress in July. One high-profile incident involved Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, a 26-year-old leader of the Richmond, Va., chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, who was arrested for allegedly climbing atop a Capitol monument and spray-painting “HAMAS IS COMIN.”

 

Trump’s latest executive order, which likely includes provisions for withholding federal funds from non-compliant institutions, comes after his administration attempted to temporarily freeze federal aid and halt the distribution of pending grants. However, a federal judge blocked the pause on grants on Tuesday, indicating potential legal battles ahead.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2025-01-31