The time has come for student visa holders in America expressing support for Hamas to be expelled, according to Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who called such a policy “common sense.”
“If you’re in America on a student visa and you’re supporting Hamas, then it’s time for you to go!” wrote Sen. Rubio on X this week.
If you’re in America on a student visa and you’re supporting Hamas then it’s time for you to go!
pic.twitter.com/SS93e1P8A0— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) May 2, 2024
The post included a clip of Rubio speaking on the Senate floor following the October 7 massacre, which saw the Hamas terrorist group perpetrate the deadliest attack against Jewish people since the Nazi Holocaust. The massacre saw the torture, rape, execution, immolation, and abduction of hundreds of Israeli civilians, as well as widespread Palestinian support for it.
A Palestinian public opinion poll by Arab World for Research and Development, in Ramallah, shows:
➡️83% of West Bank Palestinians ‘extremely support’ or ‘support somewhat’ Hamas’s antisemitic massacre on Oct. 7.
➡️Only 7% oppose it.
Think about that. pic.twitter.com/pls6jI3HpG
— CAMERA UK (@CAMERAorgUK) November 18, 2023
The large-scale slaughter, which drew parallels to scenes from the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War II, resulted in roughly 1,200 dead inside the Jewish state, over 5,300 wounded, and at least 241 hostages of all ages taken — of which nearly 140 remain in Gaza.
The vast majority of the victims are civilians and include dozens of American citizens.
Day 210
These 5 #Americans are still #Hostages in Gaza, kidnapped by #Hamas:
Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35
Edan Alexander, 19
Omer Neutra, 21
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23
Keith Siegel, 62The American media & @POTUS @JoeBiden Administration continue to be #silent!#SayTheirNames pic.twitter.com/hVtWgVfAKO
— Just a Dude 🇺🇸 (@VoodooChild38) May 4, 2024
“What I am saying is common sense,” he says. “You’re a visitor; you’re not even American; you’re a foreign national. You’re here because we gave you a visa to be here temporarily, and now you’re out there defending and supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization?”
“You need to go,” he declares. “That’s what this resolution asks the administration to do. I hope we can get a vote on it in the Senate, so at least everyone will know where everybody here stands.”
U.S. law, specifically the Immigration and Nationality Act, prohibits the entry of individuals who support terrorism or terrorist organizations, including those who endorse or encourage terrorist acts or groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah.
In October, Sen. Rubio proposed a resolution urging President Joe Biden to enforce the law by revoking the visas of those who support terrorist activities, including backing Hamas. However, Senate Democrats blocked the resolution.
Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn (TN), Katie Boyd Britt (AL), Rick Scott (FL), Kevin Cramer (ND), J.D. Vance (OH), Ted Budd (NC), Pete Ricketts (NE), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Ron Johnson (WI), John Cornyn (TX), and John Hoeven (ND), representing various states, were the original co-sponsors of the resolution.
Sen. Rubio, who endorsed former President Donald Trump earlier this year, insisted the former president was “the most pro-Israel president in my lifetime,” while accusing Biden of “encourag[ing] Iran” and its terrorist proxies.
In December, a viral clip depicted the Florida senator being confronted in Congress by a peace activist challenging him over his support for Israel’s assault on Gaza.
“I want [Israel] to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on,” he asserted.
On Friday, highlighting anti-Israel protests on U.S. campuses, he noted that “students borrow thousands of dollars a year to pay for courses by professors who hate America & Jews and love terrorists.”
Students borrow thousands of dollars a year to pay for courses by professors who hate America & Jews and love terrorists https://t.co/X4ywnFzatw
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 3, 2024
On Wednesday, in response to scenes of students from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill protecting the American flag from anti-Israel protesters, Sen. Rubio pointed out that while the “pro-Hamas antisemitic freaks” occupy a lot of the news, “there is still a lot more of us than them.”
The pro-Hamas antisemitic freaks make a lot of news
But don’t forget there is still a lot more of us than them pic.twitter.com/jGOMsUN6OI
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 1, 2024
In March, Sen. Rubio introduced a bill that would prohibit embassies and other diplomatic missions, as well as official American government vehicles, from displaying non-U.S. flags larger and higher than the American flag. According to Rubio, the bill is necessary because “woke ideology” is threatening to “take that sense of national pride from us” in the form of conspicuous displays of non-American flags abroad in contexts representing the United States.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
