Dem Rep Ritchie Torres backs expected Trump plan to deport anti-semitic students on visas

Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres responded to a report that President Trump is expected to sign an executive order to deport antisemitic activists on visas who violated the law, agreeing with the president's efforts and calling a visa a "privilege."

"If you’re a student who is here on a visa and you’re breaking laws, committing crimes, and aligning with terrorist organizations that seek the destruction of the United States, you should have your visa revoked," Torres said. "A visa is not a right but a privilege, and that privilege, once abused, should be revoked."

Torres' comments come in response to a report by the New York Post which stated that Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to identify and deport non-citizen activists involved in anti-Semitic activities that violate US law. The order will require agency and department heads to submit recommendations within 60 days and instruct the Department of Justice to investigate pro-Hamas intimidation, including incidents on college campuses.

Additionally, the order calls for the deportation of non-citizens, including students on visas, who engaged in illegal activities during anti-Israel protests that took place following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The move follows a congressional report released last month by six House committees that urged the federal government to take stronger action against anti-Semitism. The report recommended measures such as making federal aid to universities conditional on their efforts to combat anti-Semitism. 

Columbia University was specifically cited as a hotspot for anti-Semitic incidents, with the report noting that the institution received $2.7 billion in federal funding in 2023. The report emphasized that federal law prohibits recipients of taxpayer funds from allowing discrimination. It also blasted the Biden administration for ignoring requests about the number of visa holders who were present among the protesters.

While running for president, Trump called for the deportation of pro-Hamas students who are currently in the US on visas.

This order also builds on a recent executive action aimed at deporting non-citizens who express sympathy or support for terrorist groups like Hamas. An order signed by the president last week stated that the US must “ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States” do not “support designated foreign terrorists.” It called for the removal of visa holders who “advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security.”