President Donald Trump this week threatened to cut federal funding for colleges that allow what he called “illegal protests” on campuses. The President also threatened to imprison or deport “agitators,” referring to the wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses that broke out after the October 7 terror attacks on Israel and Israel’s military retaliation against Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported Trump’s threat on X. Rubio wrote on Thursday: “Those who support designated terrorist organizations, including Hamas, threaten our national security. The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation.”
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin added to Rubio’s statement: “Per a senior State Department official, yesterday, the State Dept. revoked the first visa for an ‘alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions’. I’m told this person was a university student, and ‘ICE will proceed with removing this person from the country.’”
Melugin added that the official said the State Dept. reviewed over 100,000 visas.
BREAKING: Per a senior State Department official, yesterday, the State Dept. revoked the first visa for an “alien who was previously cited for criminal behavior in connection with Hamas-supporting disruptions”.
I’m told this person was a university student, and “ICE will…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 6, 2025
Many MAGA supporters are eager to see the “clean up” of college campuses while others have voiced disappointment and opposition to potential crackdowns on free expression. One commenter in the latter group replied: “I support the revocation of visas for students who engage in criminal activity AKA rioters, but not for protesters.”
Yet Rubio’s action so far — what Melugin reports as a single visa revocation — stirred dissatisfaction among MAGA adherents whose main instruction to its representatives is “talk less, do more.”
This impatient MAGA group especially likes to slam GOP lawmakers and operatives for writing “strongly worded letters” — as, for example, MAGA populist Steve Bannon’s partner Natalie Winters does below:
Shame on @JudiciaryGOP for mocking Americans who want to see the Epstein files.
Your poor track record on actual accountability (not just strongly worded letters) is partly responsible for elites like Epstein thinking they can get away with such sweeping CRIMES. pic.twitter.com/uE5FLN21YZ
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) February 28, 2025
Rubio drew similar ire, with responses like: “Wow, they rescinded one visa.” More than one commenter also replied, “Just one?” and added comments including, “Need LOTS more to set a precedent.”
Wow, they rescinded one visa.
— Johnny 5 (@JPSLEB) March 6, 2025