Fri Mar 07 01:09:36 UTC 2025: ## US to Use AI to Revoke Visas of Pro-Palestinian Students
**Washington D.C.** – The US State Department plans to utilize artificial intelligence to identify and revoke the visas of foreign students suspected of supporting Hamas, according to a report by Axios. This initiative, spurred by President Trump’s January executive order combating antisemitism, follows months of pro-Palestinian protests in response to the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military operation in Gaza.
The program, dubbed “Catch and Revoke,” will involve AI-powered analysis of social media activity from tens of thousands of student visa holders. The State Department will reportedly cross-reference this data with news reports of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and lawsuits alleging antisemitic behavior by foreign nationals.
While many pro-Palestinian groups and protestors explicitly denounce antisemitism and Hamas, the initiative comes amid concerns about incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia within some protests and counter-protests. The State Department is collaborating with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security on this effort. All three departments declined to comment on the report.
President Trump has further vowed to cut federal funding for universities that permit what he deems “illegal protests” and has threatened imprisonment or deportation for non-citizen participants, and expulsion or arrest for American students involved. These statements have drawn criticism from rights advocates who cite the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech and assembly.
The move comes amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began with a deadly Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the capture of hundreds of hostages. Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza has reportedly caused the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians, leading to accusations of war crimes, which Israel denies. Hamas is designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization.
First Piper 