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A new warning has been issued by the U.S. immigration authorities as the government enforces stricter immigration laws.
The updated policy empowers the authorities to revoke visas and green cards of individuals – legal or otherwise – who are found supporting terrorism, violence, or extremist activities.
The Department of Homeland Security highlighted that staying in the United States is a privilege, not a right. The law now applies not only to undocumented immigrants but also to valid visa holders and legal permanent residents.
Under the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown on immigration, multiple green card holders and student visa holders have been detained.
Some were reportedly involved in campus protests or were accused of distributing material supporting banned groups like Hamas.
READ: Trump’s order limits birthright citizenship in 28 states of US
Two such individuals, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, and Mohsen Mahdavi, a green card holder, were arrested under the new provisions.
They were later released following legal intervention, but their cases have sparked alarm within immigrant communities.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows there were 12.8 million legal permanent residents in the U.S. as of January 2024.
Now, under the latest directive, any legal resident violating U.S. laws or engaging in hate speech, terrorism, or violent activism risks deportation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “If a student comes to the U.S. to incite unrest or disrupt institutions, we will not allow them to stay.”
The administration is targeting what it describes as the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history, which now includes lawful immigrants involved in any form of disruptive political activity.
