The protests and rioting at Columbia may have been dispersed for the time being, but the same can't be said for many other college campuses around the country. CNN was running reports all day from schools in primarily blue states describing Jewish students as being "on edge" at UCLA where violent clashes erupted. The problems at the University of Austin in Texas were quickly tamped down thanks to a rapid police response, but harsher measures may be required. We've now learned that many of the rioters are not even students, but rather outside professional activists. Some of them, however, are from much further "outside." That applies to some of the students as well. They are immigrants who are in the country on F1 visas. And if New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has her way, those visas will soon be revoked and they will be deported. (Fox News)
As anti-Israel demonstrations continue to heat up on campuses nationwide, one of the top Republicans in the House called for those protesters spewing antisemitic vitriol who happen to be attending U.S. universities on a foreign (F1) visa to be deported.
"Yes, absolutely. They should be deported," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Tuesday on "The Story." "They are pro-Hamas members of a mob who are calling for the eradication of Israel. They are calling for genocide against Jews around the world and in America. It is unthinkable that we are allowing this to happen at U.S. universities."
Stefanik, the House GOP Conference chairwoman, also told Fox News that university presidents who refuse to blunt antisemitism and pro-Hamas ideologies are acting as "apologists."
This really should be a no-brainer. When someone is granted a student visa to come to the United States to study, that is a privilege and a gift. It also comes with strings attached. The students are expected to be on their best behavior. There are also provisions in the agreement stating that any support of terrorism in any form will render the visa invalid. Anyone who is out in public being caught on camera supporting Hamas (defined as a terrorist organization by the State Department) and calling for the eradication of the Jewish people is clearly engaged in support of terrorism.
Among those who are arrested or even those who are identified in photographs, it should be a relatively simple matter for law enforcement to search the appropriate databases and see which are in the country using student visas or any other type of visa for that matter. At that point, the visas could be canceled and detention and deportation orders issued. This should be done in a very public fashion with as much media coverage as possible to send a message to the others. If this is how you plan to behave, you are not welcome here. Leave on your own so we don't have to force you to do it the hard way.
Unfortunately, I fear that Stefanik's calls will go largely unheeded. Aside from local police who might make the initial inquiries and arrests, most of the people who would be involved in enacting such a plan work for departments and agencies controlled by the Biden administration. It's nearly impossible to get them to detain and deport anyone, including criminal illegal aliens who have assaulted people or worse. They see the political optics as being too poisonous. Biden is currently doing quite poorly among young people as compared to 2020. Imagine the response when we ask him to round up young immigrants who are protesting against Israel and ship them out of the country, even if they have violated the terms of their visa agreements.
Joe Biden has been inviting millions of illegal aliens from around the world into our country based on political calculations. Why would we expect him to behave differently when it comes to student visa holders who need to be removed? Never mind the fact that these visa holders are not citizens so they shouldn't be voting in the election. The sight of them being loaded onto planes will further enrage the activists who show up at his rallies chanting "Genocide Joe." I just don't see it happening and, as always, it will be the rank-and-file lawful citizens of the country who pay the price.
