Sen. Marco Rubio, R-F.L., and Rep. August Pfluger II, R-T.X., have called for the deportation of non-Americans who have participated in pro-Hamas “riots” in a statement condemning the recent protests that have swept college campuses and American cities.
“The First Amendment guarantees every American the right to free speech, but no one has the right to destroy private property, trespass illegally, or attack innocent people,” Rubio and Pfluger wrote in their joint statement.
“This is why college administrators are justified in disbanding anti-Israel protests-turned-riots by force.”
“We can and should, however, go one step further: we should deport the non-Americans who have participated in these riots.”
The authors noted that “existing law already prohibits any foreigner who ‘endorses or espouses terrorist activity’ from entering the country,” and questioned, “Why would any sane government allow terrorist sympathizers into the country it’s elected to protect? After all, there is no universal right to come to America, and that privilege should certainly not be extended to those who desire the overthrow of our entire system.”
“Nor do visitors have the right to stay in America if they violate the terms of their visas,” their joint statement pointed out. “Far from it, the U.S. government can and should remove such visitors. The law is clear on this point, as the U.S. Department of State confirmed last year.”
Rubio and Pfluger criticized the Biden administration for refusing to do so.
“Unfortunately, the Biden administration won’t act. Whether that is out of fear of litigation, political backlash, or both, it doesn’t matter: The government has an obligation to protect us,” they pointed out.
The lawmakers also introduced the Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act, which they believe would remove any legal ambiguity surrounding deportation.
“As lawmakers, we cannot force the president’s hand on this, but we can remove any legal ambiguity surrounding the question of deportation,” they stated. “Our bicameral Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act would do just that, explicitly revoking the visas of foreign visitors who support Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Palestine Islamic Jihad, or any related group. This measure deserves bipartisan approval. No one, Republican or Democrat, should want to privilege people who celebrate indiscriminate violence against the United States and its allies.”
The authors pointed out that progressive Democrats in Congress have blocked the legislation’s passage and that a majority of Democrats now oppose Israel’s actions in Gaza to root out and destroy the radical Islamic terror group Hamas.
They also highlighted that a smaller portion of the Democratic Party actively supports Hamas and its backers in Tehran, “in spite of or even because of their unprovoked slaughter, rape, and kidnapping of hundreds of innocent civilians, including more than 40 Americans, on Oct. 7, 2023.”
Rubio and Pfluger warned that caving to the pro-Hamas movement’s threats would only expand its power and influence.
“The more we cave to the pro-Hamas movement’s implicit or explicit threats, the more its power and influence will expand,” they stated. “In contrast, empowering the U.S. government to deport foreign pro-Hamas and anti-American protesters would send a clear message that far-left bullies remain subject to the law.”
Citing Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray’s statement that the war in Gaza has brought the danger of terrorism in the United States to a “whole other level,” the authors emphasized the need to protect American lives from harm.
“At such a moment, we must remember that our number-one responsibility is to protect American lives from harm. We have no responsibility whatsoever to let terrorist supporters live inside our borders,” they wrote.
“Laws are being broken. The public peace is under siege. Worst of all, Americans are being made to fear for their lives and livelihoods just for being Jewish,” they said.
“We should have never allowed things to reach this point. The least we can do now is hold foreign offenders accountable.”