'IMMEDIATELY DEPORT': Foreign students face deportation threat amid anti-Israel protests

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed the possibility of foreign students being deported if they are suspended from their courses while on a student visa.

This announcement comes amid widespread anti-Israel protests at Columbia University and other American colleges.

As anti-Israel demonstrations intensify at campuses nationwide, including Columbia University, where classes have transitioned to a hybrid format due to safety concerns, concerns have arisen regarding the status of students on student visas.

Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has called for the ‘immediate deportation’ of foreign nationals supporting Hamas and the revocation of federal student loans for American students arrested for the same.

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According to Homeland Security Investigations, international students maintain their “in status” designation as long as they are making progress in their studies, and temporary suspensions may not necessarily affect their status.

However, if a suspension indicates a failure to make normal progress in their course of study, deportation proceedings may be initiated on a case-by-case basis, in collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).

The decision to deport a foreign national ultimately rests with an immigration judge, as DHS does not have the authority to revoke visas. While most visa revocations do not automatically trigger deportation proceedings, they do prevent future entry into the United States.

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The nationwide anti-Israel protests have gained momentum, with students from various states joining the movement and pledging to continue demonstrating until their demands are met. These demonstrations have been permitted at numerous prestigious institutions, including Columbia, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, and others.

The protests coincide with the six-month mark of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began with terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7th.