U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at combating antisemitism, vowing to deport non-U.S. citizens and others involved in pro-Palestinian protests on American university campuses.
The plan to fight antisemitism includes immediate action by the Department of Justice to investigate and bring to justice those who break the law on U.S. college campuses.
It also calls for the deportation of foreign nationals who are not permanent residents “who violate our laws,” referencing earlier warnings by Trump to revoke visas for international students participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
Civil rights groups and legal scholars have said the new measure would violate the constitutional right to free speech and is likely to face legal challenges.
“The First Amendment protects everyone in the United States, including foreign citizens studying at American universities,” said Carrie DeCell, an attorney at the “Knight First Amendment” Institute at Columbia University, according to Reuters. “Deporting those who are not U.S. citizens based on their political views would be unconstitutional.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a group advocating for Muslim rights, said it would consider challenging the order in court if Trump attempted to enforce it, VOA reports.
Tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas led to protests on U.S. college campuses, including a wave of pro-Palestinian rallies, resulting in 3,200 arrests.
Many pro-Palestinian protesters denied supporting Hamas or engaging in antisemitic actions, stating that they were protesting against the military operation in Gaza, where local health authorities report over 47,000 deaths.
