Duval Times

"Revoke the visas of protesters supporting Hamas"

May 8, 2024

Diario Las Américas

"The First Amendment guarantees all Americans the right to freedom of speech, but no one has the right to destroy private property, invade land illegally, or attack innocent people. That is why university administrators are justified in dismantling anti-Israeli protests that have turned into riots. However, we can and should go one step further: the U.S. should deport non-American individuals who have participated in such riots.

Existing law prohibits the entry into the U.S. of any foreigner who 'endorses or proposes terrorist activities.'...There is no universal right to come to the U.S. It is a privilege that certainly should not be extended to those who wish for the overthrow of our entire system of government.

Individuals in our country on a visa also do not have the right to remain in the U.S. if they violate the terms of that permit. The U.S. government can, and should, expel those individuals who break the law. The law is absolutely clear on this point, as confirmed by the Department of State last year. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration does not act upon this…

…Our bicameral legislation would do just that, explicitly revoking the visas of foreigners who support Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any related group.

This measure deserves bipartisan support. No one, whether Republican or Democrat, should want to privilege those who celebrate indiscriminate violence against the U.S. and our allies. However, progressive Democrats in Congress have obstructed the approval of our legislation…

…A smaller, but incredibly active, portion of the Democratic party supports Hamas and its supporters in Tehran, despite the killings, rapes, and kidnappings of hundreds of innocent civilians, including more than 40 Americans, on October 7, 2023. These fanatics are instructing activists and students to raise their voices saying, 'Death to the U.S.' and 'Burn Tel Aviv to the ground.' They are also pressuring their lawmakers in the U.S. not to fulfill their duty.

We cannot allow these radicals to get away with it…Instead, urging the U.S. government to deport foreign protesters who support Hamas and are anti-American would send a clear message that far-left bullies will be subject to what the law demands.

...At a time like this, we must remember that our number one responsibility is to protect the lives of Americans from any harm. We have no responsibility to allow terrorism supporters to live within our borders.

...Worst of all, Americans fear for their lives simply for being Jewish. We should never have allowed things to reach this point. The least we can do now is hold accountable foreign criminals who are violating our laws.

Read more here."