Florida – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently addressed the issue of protests on college campuses during the Israel-Hamas conflict, emphasizing that while students have the right to protest, actions that specifically target Jewish students should not be tolerated and could result in severe consequences. DeSantis stressed that international students involved in such harassment should have their visas revoked and be sent back to their home countries. “I think the students if they’re foreign students on visas, their visas should be canceled and they should be sent home. That should just happen,” DeSantis declared.
Senator Rubio Demands Action
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio echoed DeSantis’ calls, continuing to push for the revocation of student visas for non-citizens who participate in anti-Israel protests on college campuses.
Following the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel, Rubio and other Republican lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to revoke visas for any foreign students displaying pro-Hamas sentiment.
Protests on the Rise
Protests on campuses have surged tenfold since the attacks, some involving threats of violence. Universities are advising Jewish students and teachers to stay off campus for their own safety.
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In one instance, a Jewish student had to request police assistance to safely access a university area.
“I saw another video of a Jewish student who had to get police…so that he could go into an area of the university where he had every right to be because of these zombies, these antisemitic left-wing nutcases,” Rubio said during a conversation with Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream.
Calls for Visa Revocations
Rubio insists that non-citizens supporting Hamas or other terrorist groups should be sent back to their home countries. He criticized Biden for not taking action, calling him “weak” and “feeble.”
“Joe Biden at very early on should have said as I asked him to do back in October, if… you’re not an American., you’re here on a visa, and you’re here to teach or you’re here to go to school and you’re out there chanting on behalf of Hamas and Hezbollah and these terrorist groups… you should have your visa revoked and eliminated,” Rubio said.
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He cited instances where non-citizens reportedly defaced the George Washington statue at GW University and replaced American flags with Palestinian ones, arguing that such acts warrant visa cancellations.
Escalating Demonstrations
Columbia University has seen one of the most intense confrontations between protesters and university officials. Students set up a camp on campus, refusing to leave despite warnings from law enforcement.
Rubio claims the protesters “hate America” and should be expelled if they’re in the U.S. on a visa.
“Biden should have been very clear about whose side we’re on from the very beginning. Look, there’s a bunch of Democratic donors, major Democratic donors who are behind the groups that are funding all this,” Rubio added.
WATCH: Senator @marcorubio calls for foreign students supporting Hamas to have their visa revoked. pic.twitter.com/MWi1S3eMBk
— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) May 5, 2024
Republican Lawmakers Demand Action
Shortly after the initial Hamas attack on Israel, 19 Republican lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging them to revoke visas from foreign nationals endorsing terrorism.
They sought clarification about the “potentially unlawful presence” of non-immigrant nationals who support terrorist activities.
White House Position
The White House opposed the proposal, arguing that such actions would violate First Amendment protections.
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“You don’t have to agree with every sentiment… to stand by the idea of the First Amendment and the idea of peaceful protest,” said national security spokesman John Kirby.
Rubio maintains that supporting terrorist groups, such as Hamas, should not be tolerated and that foreign nationals involved in these activities should have their visas revoked immediately.
