How the Trump Administration’s Recent Actions Affect the Future of the Pro-palestine Student Movement

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s ‘Catch and Revoke’ plan represents a new effort in Trump's policy of restricting immigration and increasing surveillance of foreigners within the United States.

While the US government views the new plan as a necessary security measure to protect national security, its critics warn that it threatens freedom of expression and undermines civil rights, raising concerns that it could become a chilling approach to restricting freedoms in the country.

US President Donald Trump had previously threatened to deport all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, clearly indicating that the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil a few days earlier may be just the beginning of a broader campaign.

According to the Washington Post, legal experts have raised questions about whether the current US administration has the authority to deport people based on their opinions, suggesting that the freedom of expression enjoyed by these students would be protected under the First Amendment.

In a related development, Trump signed another executive order halting federal funding for colleges and schools that allow protests to take place on their campuses.

According to observers, these measures reflect the Trump administration's strong commitment to supporting “Israel”, an issue of intense interest to white evangelicals in the U.S.

Security Measure

‘Catch and Revoke’ is a campaign launched by the US State Department aimed at revoking the visas of foreigners who express sympathy for the Palestinian cause or support Hamas and other groups designated by the U.S. as terrorist.

The campaign relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to scan and monitor the social media accounts of tens of thousands of US visa holders, according to Axios, citing a State Department official.

In addition, the government intends to investigate media reports of anti-Israel demonstrations, as well as lawsuits filed by Jewish students against foreign demonstrators for anti-Semitism, to determine whether any visa holders participated in these activities.

As part of the campaign, federal officials have reviewed more than 100,000 files in the Student Exchange Visitor System since October 2023 to determine whether any visas were revoked due to the student's arrest or expulsion from the university.

However, according to Axios, there was not a single instance of visa revocation for any student involved in the pro-Palestinian movement during the tenure of former President Joe Biden. 

This angered the Trump administration, which accused the previous administration of adopting a lax approach to law enforcement, which is why Rubio's latest campaign came about.

Rubio's deportation plan against Hamas supporters is based on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which gives the Secretary of State the authority to revoke the visas of foreigners deemed a threat to national security.

It is worth noting that Rubio referred to this law in statements made just eight days after Operation Protective Edge, saying: “We see people marching on our campuses and in our streets, chanting for the intifada and celebrating what Hamas did... These people should leave the country immediately.”

Hardline Approach

The arrest and revocation policy is consistent with the Trump administration's hardline approach and comes in implementation of an executive order issued by the US President on January 29 aimed at harnessing federal resources to combat antisemitism on American college campuses.

“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,” Trump said.

On January 20, Trump issued an executive order targeting visa holders and aliens who pose a threat to national security or promote hateful ideologies.

In a related development, the White House announced that Trump had signed an executive order halting federal funding for colleges and schools that allow protests against Israel's war on Gaza.

On March 3, the US administration announced it had launched a comprehensive review of federal grants and contracts awarded to Columbia University, based on allegations that the university had not taken sufficient measures to address antisemitism in the face of widespread protests during the Israeli war on Gaza.

Subsequently, Trump stated that American students who incite protests on campuses would face expulsion or arrest.

He also warned that foreign students involved in such activities would be permanently deported to their countries of origin, emphasizing that his administration would take strict action against any activity deemed incitement or a threat to national security.

On her part, US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the Trump administration would work to end what she described as the tolerance of antisemitism on American campuses. 

“We will not tolerate any university that fails to hold students accountable for discrimination. Universities must comply with anti-discrimination laws and protect students or expect the consequences,” she said.

Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, a nonpartisan civil rights group, said the group was deeply troubled by the apparent conflation of criticism of Israel with alleged antisemitism.

Severe Consequences

On March 7, the US administration announced the withdrawal of $400 million from Columbia University in New York State, and the cancellation of grants and contracts.

It is worth noting that Columbia University was the site of the initial student protests calling for an end to the Israeli war on Gaza, which spread to dozens of universities in the U.S. and Europe.

With Columbia University preparing to appeal the decision, the case is expected to escalate into a legal battle that could impact the future relationship between the federal government and academic institutions.

U.S. federal agencies recently announced they were considering orders to stop work on $51 million in contracts with Columbia University and review $5 billion in future federal grants.

The federal review received widespread support from Republican leaders, who believe the recent events at Columbia reflect a rise in antisemitism on American campuses, in addition to their claims that far-left ideologies dominate academic institutions.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said the decision sends a message to universities: “Stop the violence and intimidation of Jewish students or pay the price,” noting that Columbia University has failed to protect its students from terrorist sympathizers.

However, Trump's executive order has been criticized by human rights groups, who argue that the new measure would violate constitutional free speech rights.

New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman described the move as an unconstitutional attempt by the government to force colleges and universities to censor student speech and activity that does not meet the MAGA movement's approval, such as criticism of Israel or support for Palestinian rights.

U.S. Anti-Discrimination Committee Chairman Obaid Ayoub noted that the new program could be traced back to Operation Boulder in 1972, when the Nixon administration infiltrated and surveilled pro-Palestinian groups. 

He emphasized that the new campaign is more dangerous than ever due to its use of artificial intelligence to monitor public discourse.

On the other hand, human rights activists have warned that artificial intelligence is not an accurate tool, as it can misinterpret posts, leading to unfair decisions to revoke visas and deport innocent people.

Mass Deportations

In a new escalation by the Trump administration against the pro-Palestinian student movement, U.S. authorities have arrested Palestinian grad student Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University.

The Associated Press quoted the Palestinian activist's lawyer as saying that authorities informed her that Khalil's permanent residency had been revoked, an unprecedented move that could open the door to broader legal targeting of pro-Palestinian activists on American campuses.

She added that she had not received any official information about his whereabouts since his arrest, describing the situation as an illegal and repressive measure, noting that such arbitrary detention usually occurs in politically motivated cases.

Although Khalil has not faced any formal criminal charges, immigration authorities alleged that he helped organize protests promoting the Hamas narrative, accusing him of playing a key role in disseminating social media posts attacking “Israel” and Zionism.

In her statements, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said that Khalil's arrest was part of Trump's orders to combat antisemitism, a formula his administration uses to justify its crackdown on student movement against “Israel”.

In contrast, Khalil's arrest sparked angry reactions from human rights organizations and immigration experts, who criticized US authorities for attempting to silence pro-Palestinian student speech through threats of deportation.

Immigrant-ARC Executive Director Camille Mackler described the arrest as retaliation against an activist who expressed an opinion the US administration disliked.

“This is a dangerous precedent. Detaining someone for their political views, without any criminal charges, means that freedom of expression is now directly targeted,” he added.

In turn, 14 lawmakers, all Democrats, signed a letter to the Department of Homeland Security demanding Khalil's release.

They called the arrest as an attempt to criminalize political protest and a direct attack on freedom of expression. 

They noted that the Palestinian student is a legal permanent resident and is married to an eight-month-pregnant US citizen.

Observers believe the Trump administration may use such a measure to pave the way for mass deportations targeting student activists who participated in protests against the Israeli war on Gaza.

Activist Omar Taha explained to Al-Estiklal that “the Trump administration is trying to use university funding cuts, Visa revocations, and possibly arrests as pressure tools against anyone who dares to criticize Israel or support the rights of the Palestinians within the U.S.”

“The Trump administration's blackmailing approach will put the future of thousands of pro-Palestinian students at risk, which may push them to avoid participating in anti-Israel protests for fear of repercussions,” he added.

“The same repercussions will apply to American universities and their administrations, which will also be forced to review their political activity and their support for any humanitarian cause in general, to avoid meeting the same fate as Columbia University,” Mr. Taha said.

He concluded that the Trump administration's hardline measures, along with the orders and statements that preceded them, could revive Palestinian momentum both inside and outside the U.S., noting that Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest greatly helped this by transforming it into a legal battle and a public opinion issue.