The US State Department has revoked the visa of a foreign student who participated in pro-Hamas demonstrations on a U.S. college campus. This marks the first enforcement action under President Donald Trump’s directive to cancel visas of students involved in anti-Israel protests—one of his earliest executive actions upon returning to office. The State Department confirmed the revocation to Fox News, though it did not disclose the student’s identity or university, citing “legal constraints.” “Yesterday evening, we revoked the first visa of an alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions,” a State Department spokesperson said. “This individual was a university student. ICE will proceed with removing this person from the country.” The crackdown is a sharp departure from the previous administration’s approach. Despite a surge in anti-Israel demonstrations—some turning violent—on college campuses across the country, the Biden administration did not revoke a single student visa. The State Department reviewed over 100,000 student visas under Biden, but none were canceled, even amid incidents of vandalism, harassment, and threats against Jewish students. Trump, however, made his stance clear early on. As anti-Israel protests gained momentum, he vowed to strip Hamas sympathizers of their right to study in the U.S. In a fact sheet released by the White House, Trump doubled down on that promise: “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you.” The visa revocation comes just as Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a cutting-edge initiative to track and remove foreign students engaged in extremist activities. According to a report by Axios, the AI-driven “Catch and Revoke” effort will scan online activity, protest footage, and university records to identify visa holders who express support for designated terrorist organizations like Hamas. “Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security,” Rubio wrote on X. “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.” Over the past year, U.S. universities have become hotbeds of anti-Israel protests, many escalating into vandalism, violence, and direct threats against Jewish students. Police have been called to campuses as demonstrators blocked access to buildings, chanted antisemitic slogans, and, in some cases, engaged in physical confrontations with law enforcement. A December 2024 U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism issued a scathing rebuke of federal inaction under Biden: “The failure of our federal government departments and agencies is astounding. The Biden Administration turned a blind eye to this coordinated assault on public order; it simply refused to protect the civil rights of Jewish Americans, especially students.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)