Professional-Hamas international college students ought to have visas revoked, former immigration chief says

Foreign college students learning within the U.S. who be part of pro-Hamas protests must be deported, a former head of the federal government’s citizenship company stated.

Emilio Gonzalez, who ran U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services throughout the Bush administration, additionally stated Friday that any green-card holders who take part demonstrations supporting Hamas’s murderous sneak assault on Israel may be denied an opportunity at citizenship as a result of they fail the “good moral character” take a look at.

“Show me how clapping for babies being burned alive is good moral character,” Mr. Gonzalez informed The Washington Times.

He stated immigration regulation provides a robust software to clamp down on repugnant beliefs and universities, and the Biden administration shouldn’t be shy about utilizing it.

“Don’t reward terrorism!” he stated in a publish on social media platform X, the place he first laid out the concept. His suggestion comes after studies of pro-Palestinian rallies breaking out in U.S. communities. and significantly on school campuses.

Demonstrators have defended Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault as “resistance” to Israel, and a standard theme amongst protests has been a picture of a paraglider, just like ones used because the vanguard of Hamas’s incursion final weekend.

Mr. Gonzalez stated if any of these college students are right here on pupil visas, they might face penalties. The college might expel them, and at that time their visas can be null they usually may very well be deported, he stated.

“Hate speech works both ways,” he informed The Times. “Universities are intolerant of people they consider to be conservative or right-wing on any number of issues, yet they tolerate organizations and students who espouse anti-semitic, pro-terrorist dogma.”

Mr. Gonzalez stated others might additionally face the hammer of immigration regulation. If pro-Hamas protesters are right here on work visas, these may very well be revoked.