TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS GET THE BOOT

Foreign Students Warned: U.S. Is Not a Platform for Promoting Terrorist Sympathies

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In a landmark ruling on April 11, 2025, Immigration Judge Jamee Comans in Louisiana determined that Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, can be deported from the United States due to his leadership in pro-Palestinian protests on campus in 2024. The decision sends a clear message to foreign students: the U.S. will not tolerate its soil being used as a stage to promote sympathies for groups or causes deemed harmful to national interests.

Khalil, a 30-year-old legal permanent resident, was arrested on March 8, 2025, at his university-owned apartment in New York City. The Trump administration argued that his activism, which included negotiating with Columbia officials to divest from Israel during protests against the Gaza war, posed “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited a rarely used provision of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, asserting that Khalil’s actions undermined U.S. efforts to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students from harassment. Judge Comans agreed, stating the government met its burden of proof for his removal to Syria or Algeria, where he holds citizenship.

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This case highlights a growing concern: foreign students exploiting the freedoms of the U.S. to advocate for causes that may align with designated terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, which the U.S. government classifies as a terrorist group.

Millions of foreign students studying in the United States, are under the foolish assumption that they have constitutional and civil rights to shout out his beliefs in terrorist groups like Hamas. These students should learn that they are abusing the United States, the country that is hosting their stay while they obtain an education.

If foreign students insist on yelling about their politics and inciting riots all of the the United States, they will be removed. Foreign students cannot quietly follow the law in their own countries then come to the United States to disrupt the peace by protesting and promoting terrorist groups, a behavior that they know full well they would never get away with back in their native countries.

While free speech is a cornerstone of American values, it is not an absolute right for non-citizens, especially when actions are perceived to foster division or hostility. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem underscored this in a statement, saying, “It is a privilege to live and study in the United States. When you advocate for violence or harass others, that privilege can be revoked.”

Foreign students must understand that their presence in the U.S. comes with responsibilities. Engaging in protests that the government views as supporting or glorifying terrorist groups can have severe consequences, including deportation. Khalil’s high-profile role—speaking to media and leading negotiations during Columbia’s encampments—drew scrutiny, amplified by his visibility on social media and news outlets. His case is a cautionary tale: actions that might seem like activism in one context can be interpreted as threats to national security in another.

The ruling also reflects a broader crackdown. Since March 2025, immigration authorities have targeted other international students and scholars critical of U.S. foreign policy, including a Georgetown professor and a Brown University academic. Over 300 student visas have been revoked, signaling that the administration is serious about enforcing immigration laws against those it deems disruptive. As President Trump stated on Truth Social, “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country—never to return again.”

INSTEAD OF STUDING, HE HAS BEEN AN ACTIVIST FOR TERRORISTS.

To foreign students: your opportunity to study in the U.S. is a privilege, not a right to destabilize or divide. Focus on your education, respect the laws, and avoid using America’s freedoms to promote ideologies that endanger its citizens. Khalil’s fate—facing deportation while his pregnant wife remains in New York—shows the steep price of crossing that line. Let this be a warning: the U.S. welcomes scholars, not agitators.