The U.S. State Department has initiated an AI-driven program, termed “Catch and Revoke,” to identify and revoke visas of foreign students exhibiting support for Hamas or engaging in antisemitic activities. This initiative involves AI-assisted reviews of social media accounts, news articles, and government databases to detect such sympathies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized a zero-tolerance stance toward foreign visitors supporting terrorism, stating that violators face visa denial, revocation, or deportation. Rubio shared on X, “Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of US law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation and deportation.”
This effort aligns with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at combating antisemitism and deporting noncitizen students involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or … arrested.”
The “Catch and Revoke” program will scrutinize tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts, focusing on expressions of terrorist sympathies. Additionally, officials plan to examine internal databases to identify visa holders who were previously arrested but allowed to remain in the country during the prior administration.
This initiative is part of a broader “whole of government” approach against antisemitism, involving collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.
