Homeland Security said Wednesday that it will now use evidence of antisemitism against people applying for immigration benefits.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it will immediately begin applying the new standard to people who are applying for green cards or foreign students who are “affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity.”
The agency said it will be particularly looking for social media posts that show someone backing “antisemitic terrorist organizations” or “other antisemitic activity.” That will be considered a negative factor in their application.
“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers, and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said Tricia McLaughlin, a department spokeswoman.
The department said the new policy carries out presidential executive orders on combating antisemitism.
It comes even as the government has revoked visas in several cases involving foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian rallies or signed on to materials critical of Israel.
With their visas revoked, some of those students have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as deportation targets. That has spawned a series of court cases challenging the arrests as a violation of the students’ First Amendment speech rights.
