US President Donald Trump Signs Executive Order to Combat Antisemitism, Pledge to Deport Non-Citizen Protesters
Washington D.C., USA - In a move that has sparked controversy and concern among rights groups and legal scholars, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday to combat antisemitism. The order, which was promised by the president earlier in the day, also includes a pledge to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.
The executive order, published in a fact sheet, promises "immediate action" by the Justice Department to prosecute individuals making "terroristic threats, arson, vandalism, and violence against American Jews". It also pledges to marshal all federal resources to combat what it calls "the explosion of antisemitism on our campuses and streets".
According to the order, Trump will "find and deport" any resident alien who joined in pro-jihadist protests, as well as cancel student visas of individuals accused of sympathizing with Hamas. The president also vowed to take action against what he described as a "radicalism infestation" on college campuses.
The measure has been met with widespread criticism from rights groups and legal scholars, who argue that it would violate constitutional free speech rights and is likely to draw legal challenges. Carrie DeCell, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said: "Deporting non-citizens on the basis of their political speech would be unconstitutional".
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has also announced that it will consider challenging the order in court if Trump attempts to implement it.
The controversy sparked by pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses has led to a surge in hate crimes and incidents targeted at Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and other Middle Eastern peoples. The Jewish community, which has been disproportionately affected by these attacks, welcomed the executive order as a necessary measure against antisemitism.
However, critics argue that the order conflates criticism of Israel with alleged antisemitism, silencing legitimate protest and undermining free speech across the US.
The White House has promised to provide recommendations for law enforcement agencies on all criminal and civil authorities that could be used to fight antisemitism within 60 days. The measure also calls for an inventory and analysis of court cases involving pro-Palestinian campus protests, potentially leading to actions against "alien students and staff".
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, a nonpartisan civil rights group, expressed deep concern about the order's chilling effect on free speech across the US.
"We are deeply troubled by the apparent conflation of criticism of Israel with alleged antisemitism," she said. "This executive order is a dangerous attempt to silence legitimate protest and undermine the constitutionally protected right of free speech."