Use of AI to identify and deport pro-Palestinian students slammed online

The Trump administration’s plan to use artificial intelligence to deport international students that are deemed “pro-Hamas” has received a wide range of reactions this week from across the political spectrum, stirring fears of what this could mean for free speech in the US. 

The US State Department reportedly plans to use AI to revoke the visas of foreign students who are deemed “pro-Hamas”, Axios reported on Thursday, citing senior State Department officials.

The “Catch and Revoke” project, launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio according to Axios, will see “AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts [and] marks a dramatic escalation in the US government’s policing of foreign nationals’ conduct and speech”. 

Rubio took to X on Thursday to announce measures against students, saying the US has “zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of US law”.  According to reports, the State Department has already revoked the visa of one unidentified student.

The reviews of social media accounts “are particularly looking for evidence of alleged terrorist sympathies” expressed after the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, officials told Axios.

“Catch and Revoke” is one of the many escalations that have occurred this week in stifling momentum for the pro-Palestine student movement, in addition to President Donald Trump’s cancellation of a $400m grant to Columbia and the beginning of an investigation into the University of California over concerns surrounding antisemitism.

Reactions to the announcement have received both criticism and praise, with many questions as to what this could mean for freedom of speech in general in the US. 

‘Going to get much worse’

In response to the announcement, many say that “Catch and Revoke” goes against US law, and that internationals on student visas are protected by the First Amendment and they have the right to freedom of speech. 

“Reminder, Mr President, all people – regardless of immigration status – including students and faculty, have the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, no matter the subject matter. If news reports are true, “Catch and Revoke” is an awful idea and an attack on human rights,” human rights organisation Amnesty International USA posted on X. 

Those that are in support of deporting international pro-Palestine student protestors argue that students that participated in encampments or sit-ins are not protected by the First Amendment. 

“Free speech allows people to protest outside as long as they are not blocking or harming anyone. However, free speech does not include preventing others from learning or causing harm. Coming to this country to study is a privilege, not a right,” one person posted on X. 

Others who oppose “Catch and Revoke” have also pointed out that those who participate in pro-Palestine protests on campus – as well as students who have vocally criticised Israel online – should not automatically be deemed as sympathisers to Hamas. 

Palestinian-American academic Eman Abdelhadi took to X to call out those she believes gave the Trump administration permission to escalate the situation on pro-Palestine students to this extent. 

“Everyone-from Democrats to University admin-who helped perpetuate the lie that critique or protest of Israel was inherently antisemitic or constituted harassment of Jewish students, you handed the University to the Right on a golden platter”. 

An anonymous user on X, who says they are an international student, says that the news of “Catch and Revoke” has made them even more fearful of protesting for Palestine.

Another point of contention for many online is the government’s use of AI in identifying so-called “pro-Hamas” students. The CIA-backed analytics firm being used for the project, Palantir, is infamous for being used by Israel to facilitate its targeting of Palestinians, and for its advanced capabilities in its war on Gaza. 

“If you didn’t know, Palantir is the company that generates ‘kill lists’ for Palestinians in Gaza for the IDF. Now, this same kind of ‘contact tracing’ tech is being employed in the U.S. for bad, or for ‘good’,” one person posted on X. “If they can use this AI to go after Hamas sympathizers, they can use this to go after ANY ONE OF US, AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON.”

Another echoed the sentiment, saying that “Catch and Revoke” is a “beta test” for US citizens.

Those that voted for Trump have also expressed frustration with the administration for investing this much energy into censoring criticism of Israel.

“Why are we protecting Israel so much even under our first amendment rights of freedom of speech? I’m exhausted,” a person who voted for Trump posted on X. “I didn’t vote for this. I voted for corruption exposure and transparency.”