Foreign nationals who have participated in anti-Israel and pro-Hamas protests over the past 15 months may soon face deportation under a new executive order signed Monday by President Donald Trump. The order, titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” seeks to prevent those who advocate for terrorist organizations, including Hamas, from remaining in the U.S.

The executive order explicitly directs the Department of Homeland Security to take immediate action against visa holders who are found to support or promote terrorist ideologies. “The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present…do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security,” the order states.

The policy is expected to have sweeping implications for foreign nationals, particularly students, who participated in demonstrations that expressed support for Hamas or other terrorist organizations. According to pro-Israel advocacy group Betar, dozens of foreign nationals at prominent universities may fall under this category.

“We have started compiling lists of Jew-hating foreign nationals on visas who support Hamas,” said Ross Glick, director of the U.S. chapter of Betar, in an interview with the New York Post. The organization claims to have identified about 30 individuals from countries including Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Canada, and the United Kingdom, currently studying at institutions like Columbia, UPenn, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon.

The executive order also empowers the Secretary of Homeland Security to remove or exclude any visa holder engaged in activities deemed harmful to U.S. security, barring exceptional circumstances tied to ongoing investigations or national security needs.

While the order does not specifically reference recent campus protests, the timing suggests that the administration is prioritizing action against individuals seen as promoting or sympathizing with groups like Hamas. The policy marks a sharp escalation in efforts to tie immigration enforcement to counterterrorism.

This move has sparked both praise and criticism, with supporters arguing it is a necessary step to protect U.S. national security, while critics warn it could be used to target individuals exercising free speech. Regardless, for those who joined pro-Hamas demonstrations, their immigration status may now be on shaky ground.