Marco Rubio Demands Joe Biden Cancel Visas For Foreign Nationals ‘Organizing and Participating in Pro-Hamas Demonstrations’

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) demanded Saturday that President Joe Biden begin cancelling the visas for foreign nationals who “endorse or espouse terrorist activity, including those who defend or support Hamas by calling for intifada, jihad, or other similar actions to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel.”

In the statement (included in full below), Rubio specifically mentioned individuals in the United States on Visas who helped put together demonstrations on Friday’s international “Day of Jihad” that was called for by a former Hamas leader and saw major protests in New York City and elsewhere.

The war that began with a Hamas terror attack on Israel and included air, land, and sea invasions and the killing of thousands of civilians, continues to claim lives as missiles fly between opposing forces and clashes are taking place on the ground.

The demonstrations supporting Hamas, and other demonstrations in support of Israel, have led to clashes and threats of violence all across the country. Hamas leaders has called on Muslims across the world to show support for the militant group.

“America is the most generous nation on earth, but we cannot allow foreign nationals who support terrorist groups like Hamas and march in our streets calling for ‘intifada’ to enter or stay in our country,” Rubio said in a statement released on Saturday.

Times Square and college campuses have been the staging ground for protests in support of Palestine. The tensions between the two groups has led to increase security from law enforcement across the U.S.

“In addition to demanding the Biden Administration apply our existing laws, I will introduce legislation to force them to act,” Rubio added.

Moreover, the Florida lawmaker vowed to push for legislation to withhold federal funding for colleges that allow for pro-Palestine protests that are seen to “endorse or espouse terrorist activity or persuade others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization.”

“The Biden Administration has the authority and an obligation under existing law to immediately identify, cancel the visas of, and remove foreign nationals already here in America who have demonstrated support terrorist groups, and in many cases, even celebrated the slaughter of Israeli babies and the rape of Jewish girls,” he concluded.

RUBIO: CANCEL VISAS FOR THOSE ENDORSING TERRORISM
OCT 14, 2023 | PRESS RELEASES

One week ago, the world watched in horror as Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist group, stormed into southern Israel to slaughter, rape, mutilate, and kidnap innocent Israeli civilians—as well as dozens of Americans.

In the days that followed, demonstrations have erupted across America in support of Hamas. Many of those demonstrations occurred at colleges, whose administrators shockingly failed to condemn the horrific actions of Hamas and allowed pro-terrorist activities to proceed.

Some of those responsible for organizing and participating in the pro-Hamas demonstrations—demonstrations in support of a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) that just carried out the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust—are here on visas.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) urged the Biden Administration to cancel and rescind visas for foreign nationals who endorse or espouse terrorist activity, including those who defend or support Hamas by calling for intifada, jihad, or other similar actions to eliminate the Jewish state of Israel.

• “America is the most generous nation on earth, but we cannot allow foreign nationals who support terrorist groups like Hamas and march in our streets calling for ‘intifada’ to enter or stay in our country.

• “The Biden Administration has the authority and an obligation under existing law to immediately identify, cancel the visas of, and remove foreign nationals already here in America who have demonstrated support terrorist groups, and in many cases, even celebrated the slaughter of Israeli babies and the rape of Jewish girls.

• “In addition to demanding the Biden Administration apply our existing laws, I will introduce legislation to force them to act.”  — Senator Rubio

8 USC1182 of the U.S. Code details various classes of “aliens ineligible for visas or admission.” Those prohibited include any person who “endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization,” such as pro-Hamas demonstrators.

Others prohibited include “alien[s] whose entry or proposed activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Flashback … Rubio rejected plans to allow refugees from Gaza into the United States, telling the New York Post, “[w]e are in no position to accept additional refugees, especially from a region with as high a risk of terrorism, given our nation’s inability to secure our own border or vet those who are already here.”

Looking forward … Rubio will introduce legislation requiring the Biden Administration to rescind visas of foreign nationals who actively support Hamas, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, and remove those currently in the U.S.

He will also pursue legislation to remove federal funding from colleges and universities that allow protests, demonstrations, and other activity that can be reasonably construed to “endorse or espouse terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization,” as designated by the U.S. government.

Statement via Senator Marco Rubio’s website.