US approves deportation of pro-Palestinian student activists

The students were legally residing in the United States and had taken part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on university campuses, as well as publishing articles critical of the Zionist regime’s aggression in the Gaza Strip, according to the American daily.

The newspaper also reported that the cases are based on documents and internal memoranda prepared by the US Department of Homeland Security and submitted to the State Department. These materials reportedly included formal recommendations calling for the removal of five students from the country.

Among those named are Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and graduate student at Columbia University.

Rubio previously told Fox News that entry into the United States is not a right, but a privilege reserved for those who respect American laws and values, stressing that he would uphold this principle as secretary of state.

Referring to protests following the Israeli regime’s bombardment of Gaza after October 7, 2023, Rubio alleged that some foreign students at prominent US universities were involved in antisemitic activities, harassment of Jewish students, campus shutdowns, road blockades, and building occupations.

He added that the Trump administration is committed to stopping such actions at American universities.