No one can claim they hadn’t been warned. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued last month that the US offers student visas for those who wish to study in this country, not agitate and contribute to illegal actions on behalf of terrorist organizations. And the same is true for applications to emigrate to the US, Rubio made clear:
“This isn’t about free speech. Nobody has a RIGHT to a Student Visa. Nobody has a RIGHT to a green card!”
Rubio absolutely FLAMES a reporter trying to corner him on Mahmoud Khalil’s green card being REVOKED!pic.twitter.com/pGmA4J0mJg
— Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) March 12, 2025
“No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, by the way.”
“There are kids at these schools that can’t go to class. You pay all this money to these high-priced schools that are supposed to be of great esteem, and you can’t even go to class. You’re afraid to go to class because these lunatics are running around with covers on their face, screaming terrifying things,” Rubio said. “If you told us that’s what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in. If you do it once you get in, we’re going to revoke it and kick you out.”
Of course, the problem for the Trump administration so far has been applying that sensible policy after the fact. Yesterday, a federal judge in Louisiana demanded habeas corpus in the Khalil case before close of business today for a revocation that arguably flows from plenary authority under statute:
At a hearing, Judge Jamee Comans gave the federal government 24 hours to turn over its evidence against Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident and prominent pro-Palestinian activist, said Marc Van Der Hout, one of Khalil’s attorneys, who attended the hearing.
“The government has not produced a single shred of evidence to date to support any of its allegations or charges in this case including its outrageous position that Mahmoud’s mere presence and activities in this country have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences,” Van Der Hout said.
With that in mind, not to mention the other expulsions also underway and challenged in courts, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to take a more pro-active approach. Our friend Julio Rosas reports at The Blaze that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will now research the social-media postings of all applicants for visas and immigration to determine whether they have expressed support for State Department-listed terror organizations:
In a USCIS memo reviewed by Blaze Media, effective immediately, the agency will look for any social media posts by aliens who submit certain benefit requests to screen out those who have expressed support for terrorists, especially organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Foreigners who are applying for lawful permanent resident status and student visas will go through the extra screening.
The new guidance for USCIS is part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on foreigners who have caused or participated in disruptive protests on college campuses. USCIS says it is following the new executive orders signed by President Donald Trump, which state that leadership at the State Department, Justice Department, DHS, and national intelligence must ensure there is enhanced screening for foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States.
“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Secretary [Kristi] Noem has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism — think again. You are not welcome here.”
I find this shocking! Utterly shocking … that we hadn’t done this all along. After 9/11, one would think that a major effort at USCIS and other agencies handling visas would be to screen for terrorist links and support. The 9/11 Commission even explicitly pointed out the gaps in place that allowed the al-Qaeda terrorists to legally enter the country through the visa system. This is from page 81 of their final report, in which the commission pointed out the lack of information on terror links in the visa process:
Well, we have had plenty of access to such information in the Social Media Era. Any agitator worth his/her salt likely has a track record of terror-linked messaging that could fill a thumb drive. This policy should have been in place as soon as social-media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter/X launched. Why has it taken more than a decade for this common-sense screening to take place?
That is a rhetorical question, by the way. We know the answer: because previous administrations didn’t want to stand up to the terror-agitator class.
Thankfully, that has changed in a hurry in this administration. And legitimately so, as long as such screening flags messaging that explicitly relates to listed terror groups. Claiming solidarity with Palestinians is an example of free speech; declaring support for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda constitutes a legitimate security concern for the US. And we are under no obligation to admit applicants under any circumstances anyway.
We are nearly 24 years past the point of pussyfooting around when it comes to terrorism and its agitators. They have no place in the US, and that includes those who are already here and participating and/or coordinating intimidation campaigns and disseminating terror-group propaganda. Thankfully, this administration has decided to do something pro-active as well as reactive about it. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of deportations.
