The US government is stepping up its surveillance on foreign students, using AI to review their social media and track any signs of support for Hamas. The crackdown is being led by Senator Marco Rubio’s State Department, aiming to review and possibly revoke visas for students who show support for the controversial group during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
In 2023 alone, over a million foreign students arrived in the U.S., but the crackdown won’t just stop at international students. American students who participate in protests that are seen as "illegal" could also face deportation. Former President Donald Trump had previously warned that US students involved in such protests could be sent home, but he didn’t specify what counts as “illegal.” This move comes amid a wave of protests at US colleges, many of which turned into heated clashes with the police.
In 2024, anti-Israel protests took over prestigious universities, with students camping out on campuses and hundreds being arrested. While these protests were largely peaceful, they sparked concerns over anti-Semitism. This led to Congress holding hearings to discuss whether universities were doing enough to protect Jewish students.
Rubio’s new plan uses AI to track social media activity, flagging posts that are deemed "pro-Hamas." This raises major concerns about freedom of speech and privacy, especially for students who are just voicing their opinions on social media platforms.
In addition, the Trump administration created a task force to tackle anti-Semitism in schools, aiming to review federal grants given to universities like Columbia University. The government is considering pulling over $50 million in contracts from the Ivy League school over accusations that it failed to protect Jewish students during last year’s protests.
This isn’t the first time Trump has threatened to shake up the education system. He’s previously suggested defunding schools that allow certain protests or have policies he disagrees with, like those involving gender, race, or COVID-19 mandates. Now, the AI crackdown on pro-Hamas content is the latest chapter in the broader debate over free speech on US campuses.
The move raises big questions about how far the government should go in regulating what students say online, and whether students will feel free to express their views without fear of legal consequences.
