{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=DE496BEA-E023-492F-AA9E-8CDAE621A08E", "Fischer, Rubio, Colleagues Push for Removal of Terrorist Supporters", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently joined four of her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging him to review and remove those who participated in, or encouraged the spread of, pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist activity. The letter was led by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).\n\n\u201cYou have an opportunity\u2013and the obligation\u2013to use the tools Congress has already provided to you to protect the safety of the United States during this critical time. We urge you to work hand-in-hand with the agencies of DHS, the U.S. Department of State, state and local law enforcement, and institutions of higher education to ensure that aliens who support terrorism are quickly removed from our country,\u201d the Senators said.\n\nSince the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas, an Iranian-backed Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), protests and demonstrations have spewed hateful and antisemitic messages across the United States.\n\nIn addition to Senators Fischer and Rubio, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here or below.\n\nWe write with regard to recent demonstrations supporting Hamas, a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), on American soil. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal terrorist attack on the State of Israel. This attack included the raping, mutilating, and kidnapping of innocent Israeli civilians, including children, as well as several Americans. Support for this attack is vile, and sadly, American universities have caved to terrorist sympathizing students by allowing rampant antisemitism and support for Hamas to pervert their grounds. Unfortunately, this abhorrent support could also be shared by those who are in the United States on a myriad of visa categories.\n\nThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tasked with protecting America from those who seek to do us harm. Section 101 of the Homeland Security Act states that DHS\u2019s \u201cprimary mission \u2026 is to ... prevent terrorist attacks within the United States\u201d and \u201creduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism.\u201d This core responsibility was born from lessons learned on September 11, 2001, when terrorists, many of whom were studying in the United States or had overstayed visas, carried out the deadliest attack on American soil. Sadly, twenty-two years later, our country is witnessing public displays from terrorist sympathizers taking to the streets and condoning Hamas\u2019 brutal attacks against the State of Israel.\n\nAs you know, 8 U.S.C. \u00a7 1182(a)(3) mandates that, in addition to those who engage in terrorist activity or material support thereof, anyone who \u201cendorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization\u201d is inadmissible into the United States and ineligible for a visa. As an FTO, support for Hamas and calling for others to join in Hamas\u2019 \u201cDay of Rage\u201d fits squarely into this criteria. Further, under 8 U.S.C. \u00a7 1201, the U.S. Department of State has the authority to revoke visas. Under these authorities, you must immediately perform a full review and coordinate with the Department of State to revoke the visas of those who have endorsed or espoused Hamas\u2019 terrorist activities and then deport them. Aside from identifying and deporting jihadist supporters, DHS should also be proactively working to ensure these aliens cannot obtain any additional immigration benefits.\n\nThe Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) serves as a valuable tool for both DHS and universities, and you must ensure that you use it to protect Americans, particularly on our university and college campuses. Under current regulations, institutions of higher education, via their designated school official (DSO), are tasked with maintaining accurate records for the students in their programs. This includes those students who have completed their course study, transferred, received a change in status as well as those whom have been terminated due to violations \u201cto school policy, standards or requirements; the student\u2019s nonimmigrant status; or civil or criminal law.\u201d In addition to current requirements, DSOs should be required to immediately report pro-Hamas, or related activity, whether on campus or not, into SEVIS as a disqualifier for continued possession of a visa or lawful status as a student or exchange visitor. This type of hatful, anti-Semitic behavior should not be tolerated anywhere in the United States, and we should certainly not permit it from guests to our country who are studying at the greatest colleges and universities in the world.\n\nAdditionally, revising DHS\u2019s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) eligibility requirements to clarify that no educational institution can qualify for SEVP eligibility if that institution has officially supported, endorsed, or espoused Hamas or its recent activities, whether by issuing official statements, allowing pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus, or officially recognizing or providing financial assistance to student groups that support Hamas is crucial and timely. Support for terror should have no place on America\u2019s campuses, and we should not be inviting foreign students into our country to study at any institution that supports Hamas\u2019s reprehensible acts.\n\nAlso, we note the provisions of 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 2339A et sq, prohibits material support for Hamas and other designated foreign terrorist organizations. We ask that you coordinate with the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division and the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to take action against any institution of higher education that recognizes, or provides financial assistance, to student groups, including but not limited to \u201cStudents for Justice in Palestine,\u201d and other similar front organizations.\n\nFinally, we urge you to respond quickly and appropriately when a university or college in the United States reaches out regarding potential national security concerns about individuals in their student body. We know from the past, terrorism can occur when the signs, sometimes subtle and sometimes blatant, are ignored. We fully anticipate that some universities and colleges will use the tools at their disposal to ensure potential terrorists are not wandering their campuses. We expect DHS and the federal personnel under your control to also respond appropriately.\n\nYou have an opportunity\u2013and the obligation\u2013to use the tools Congress has already provided to you to protect the safety of the United States during this critical time. We urge you to work hand-in-hand with the agencies of DHS, the U.S. Department of State, state and local law enforcement, and institutions of higher education to ensure that aliens who support terrorism are quickly removed from our country.\n\nThank you for your attention for this important matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=DE496BEA-E023-492F-AA9E-8CDAE621A08E"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3792309910058975, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}