Intensifying its crackdown on pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activists in the US, the Trump administration have issued a stark warning to foreign students and green card holders, cautioning them against participating in activities deemed threats to national security—especially those linked to terrorism—that could result in their deportation.

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, said, “No one has the ‘right’ to a visa or a green card. If you support terrorism we don’t want you here.”

These comments followed the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, who allegedly supported the Palestinian cause during campus protests. A New York judge has temporarily paused his deportation, though his case is still under review.

Notably, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on Friday that another Columbia student, an Indian, who had her student visa revoked for advocating violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App. Besides, ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying after her F-1 visa had expired.  

Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, had entered the United States on a F-1 student visa as doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University. Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organisation. On March 5, the Department of State revoked her visa. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11.

‘Green card holders have no indefinite right to stay in US’

Amid the growing uncertainties among Indians in the US, Vice President J D Vance said that green card holders in the United States “do not have an indefinite right to stay in the country and can be deported at the administration’s discretion”.

His remarks come amid US President Trump’s push for the ‘Trump Gold Card’, a new investor visa programme allowing foreigners to gain US citizenship by investing $5 million(₹43.5 crore) in the country.

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