House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) demanded that the Biden administration revoke visas for foreign students studying in the United States who joined in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing on antisemitism on college campuses. During the hearing, Jordan cited the Immigration Nationality Act of 1952, which calls for the revocation of student visas for students who break the law.
“This committee sent letters to Secretary Blinken, Secretary Mayorkas, three weeks ago, asking a fundamental question — the Immigration Nationality Act says if a student is here on a visa, and they’re engaged in activity that is against the law, they’re not supposed to be here,” Jordan said. “The visa is supposed to be taken away. So we asked Secretary Blinken — ‘Have you begun the process of revoking any visas?’ We know, for example, it’s been reported in the press — 55% of the student body, according to the press, 55% of the student body in Colombia, is here on a student visa, or some kind of visa.”
A State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that while it can’t comment on the specifics of any individual cases, for privacy reasons, peaceful demonstrations do not violate the terms of an Exchange Visitor Program visa.
“The United States supports the ability of anyone to peacefully protest, to demonstrate, to make their voices heard, and to express themselves in a peaceful and nonviolent way, consistent with federal, state, and local laws,” the spokesperson said. “We rely upon universities and local jurisdictions to ensure the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are protected while keeping the community safe.”
They acknowledged that anyone who violates the terms of their visa is at risk of “losing current and future immigration benefits.”
“We have processes in place to address any violations of exchange visitor program requirements, including requirements related to participants’ visas,” the spokesperson added.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Columbia University, UCLA, Northeastern University, and Yale University for comment. It also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security.
Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses have seized national headlines, especially after protests in Columbia and UCLA turned violent, necessitating a massive police response. The Biden administration has struggled over how to properly respond, balancing concerns of antisemitism with the pro-Palestinian sentiments of progressive Democrats.
