Marco Rubio: Visas and Residency of Hamas Supporters in the U.S. Will Be Revoked

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced on Sunday, March 10, that "we will revoke the visas and green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be expelled from the country." Rubio made this statement on the social media platform X in response to an Associated Press report about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, by U.S. immigration officials. According to Khalil's lawyer, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested the student, who played a prominent role in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, on Saturday night at the university's residence near the Manhattan campus. The lawyer stated that during the arrest, he was in contact with one of the immigration officers, who said they had revoked Khalil's student visa at the instruction of the U.S. State Department. However, when the lawyer informed the officers that Khalil had a green card and was residing in the U.S. as a permanent resident, the officer announced that his green card had also been revoked. This arrest appears to be one of the first actions taken in line with the Trump administration's promise to expel foreign students participating in anti-Israel protests during the Gaza war. The Trump administration claims that participants in those protests, by supporting Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization, have lost their right to reside in the United States. The U.S. Secretary of State also wrote on X last Thursday that the United States is serious about dealing with individuals in this country who support terrorist groups. Rubio stated, "Those who support specific terrorist organizations, including Hamas, are a threat to our national security. The United States will show no flexibility towards non-Americans who support terrorists." The Secretary of State of the Trump administration also emphasized that violators of U.S. laws, including international students, will face "visa denial or revocation and expulsion."