Duval Times

Today, following Hamas' October 7th terrorist attack against Israel, Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Rich McCormick in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken. The letter questions the ability of these departments to address concerns regarding aliens linked to terrorist organizations.

The members highlighted an increase in antisemitic and pro-terrorist violence in U.S. cities and campuses following the attack. They expressed concern that participants in these acts may be on visas and are not being held accountable. According to the law, the United States is obligated to enforce immigration laws by removing supporters of terrorist groups from the country and denying entry to others.

The letter stated, "It is clear under the law that anyone in the country who is a non-citizen should have their visa revoked or be denied entry into the United States if they support Hamas or other terrorist organizations." It further noted that failure to enforce these provisions undermines the legitimacy of both executive and legislative branches as well as the Constitution.

Joining Senators Scott and Rubio and Representative McCormick were Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Braun, Josh Hawley, Pete Ricketts, and Representatives Keith Self, James Moylan, Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, Randy Weber, Brian Mast, Joe Wilson, Michael Waltz, Jerry Carl, Bill Posey, Josh Brecheen, Clay Higgins, Anthony D’Esposito and Brad Wenstrup.

The full letter addressed to Secretaries Mayorkas and Blinken mentioned a reported 388 percent increase in antisemitic incidents from October 7-23, 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. It cited specific instances such as violent protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on July 24th where protestors vandalized monuments with pro-Hamas slogans.

The letter underscored that while American citizens have First Amendment rights protecting their ability to gather peacefully and express views—even those contrary to national values—these protections do not extend to non-citizens or those seeking residence in the U.S. It emphasized that standards established by legislation like Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) render any alien supporting terrorist activity inadmissible.

In conclusion, the lawmakers reiterated that non-citizens supporting Hamas should have their visas revoked or be denied entry into the United States. They requested answers from DHS and State Department officials on several points including actions taken against visa holders found supporting terrorism since October 7th.

The lawmakers asked for responses by October 11th.