The State Department acknowledged its power to revoke visas for foreign nationals residing in the United States who have endorsed Hamas while living on U.S. soil as a wave of Republicans are pushing to deport people they say are supportive of the terrorist group.
In a letter to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday evening, the department said it has “broad authority under the INA [Immigration and Nationality Act] to revoke visas.”
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State Department confirms they have the power to revoke the visas of Hamas supporters and deport them. Now they need to do it. pic.twitter.com/vCXyKufhad
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 16, 2023
“We exercise the authority when there is information or evidence indicating a visa holder may be ineligible for a U.S. visa,” the department said.
The INA mandates that those who have engaged in terrorist activity are barred from entering the U.S., and eligibility also applies to those who have “persuaded others to endorse or support one of these named terrorist groups,” such as Hamas, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 1997.
“Even after issuance of a visa, the Department of State works closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other partner agencies to ensure every visa applicant is continuously screened to ensure they remain eligible for travel to the United States,” the letter to Rubio reads.
In mid-October, Rubio sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding the agency revoke visas of those who participate in demonstrations in support of Hamas.
“I urge you to immediately use existing law to eradicate this hate from our country. In addition, I will be introducing legislation to provide further tools to ensure supporters of Hamas, and other FTOs, do not benefit from our country’s generosity,” the Republican senator said.
The department said it takes all received information that possibly indicates ineligibility into account and revokes visas “if deemed necessary.” The department also said it shares Rubio’s “outrage regarding Hamas’ brutal attack against the State of Israel and its citizens.”
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Republican lawmakers have expressed their outrage over universities’ response to Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks on Israel as protests have broken out on campuses. Protests often call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, demanding the U.S. halt funding to Israel, which has dropped thousands of bombs on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 in an attempt to eradicate the terrorist outfit.
College campuses are enduring a wave of antisemitism. An arrest was made of a student targeting Jewish students at Cornell University a few weeks ago, while Congress has pushed for swift action against those who make threats against Jewish people.
