US moves to revoke visas over Hamas support with reported AI use
WASHINGTON
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has that foreign nationals in the country who show support for the Hamas or other groups whom the administration designates as terrorist organizations will face visa denial and deportation, with a reported AI use to carry out this initiative.
“The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation,” Rubio wrote on X.
He said those who support designated terrorist organizations including Hamas threaten U.S. national security.
His statement came after the administration of President Donald Trump said it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.
In recent weeks, Columbia University has sent notices to dozens of students for activities ranging from sharing social media posts in support of Palestinian people to joining “unauthorized” protests.
In a different method, the State Department intends to leverage AI to revoke the visas of foreign students suspected of supporting Hamas, according to a report by Axios citing senior department officials.
The AI-driven initiative, dubbed "Catch and Revoke," will employ AI-assisted analyses of tens of thousands of student visa holders' social media activity, the report stated.
The effort, reportedly initiated by Rubio, will focus on identifying expressions of sympathies following Hamas’ attack in 2023, officials told Axios.
Additionally, officials are expected to review internal databases to determine whether any visa holders was arrested but permitted to remain in the U.S. under the Joe Biden administration.
Axios further reported that authorities are scrutinizing news coverage of anti-Israel demonstrations and legal complaints from Jewish students alleging that foreign nationals engaged in antisemitic acts without facing repercussions.
Separately, Fox News reported that the State Department revoked the visa of a student accused of participating in what it classified as "Hamas-supporting disruptions." According to the report, this marks the first such visa revocation under the initiative.
