Marco Rubio Approves Removal of Pro-Palestinian Student Activists

The newspaper reported that Rubio authorized the deportations after examining reports linked to demonstrations supporting Palestine and criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza. The students, who were legally residing in the US, had participated in campus protests and published articles condemning Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.

According to The New York Times, the cases are based on internal documents and memoranda prepared by the Department of Homeland Security and forwarded to the State Department. These files reportedly contained formal recommendations to remove five students from the country.

Those identified include Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and graduate student at Columbia University.

Rubio previously told Fox News that entry into the United States is a privilege rather than a right, emphasizing that it is reserved for individuals who abide by American laws and values. He said he intends to strictly enforce this principle in his role as secretary of state.

Addressing protests that erupted after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza beginning on October 7, 2023, Rubio alleged that some foreign students at leading US universities had engaged in antisemitic behavior, harassed Jewish students, disrupted campuses, blocked roads, and occupied buildings.

He added that the Trump administration is determined to prevent such activities from taking place at American universities.