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BY SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN

Since Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israel on Oct. 7, many of our nation’s top universities have abandoned their Jewish students. Instead of providing a place to learn, they have become hotbeds of antisemitism, anti-American hatred, and open support for terrorism.

Each day brings new, disturbing examples.

At Princeton University, students waved the flag of terror groups like Hezbollah. At the University of California, Los Angeles, activists blocked Jewish students from attending classes. At George Washington University, a pro-Hamas demonstrator walked around campus—just blocks from the White House—with a sign calling for a “Final Solution” against the Jewish people.

In recent weeks, pro-Hamas activists at Barnard College occupied an academic building, allegedly assaulted a school employee, and handed out flyers produced by the Hamas Media Office. Those pamphlets glorified “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”—Hamas’s term for its kidnapping, rape, and murder of more than 1,200 Israelis.

These incidents are far from isolated.

According to Hillel International, there were more than 1,800 antisemitic incidents on college campuses during the 2023-24 school year—an increase of more than 500% compared with the year before.

As Jewish students faced harassment and intimidation on our college campuses, however, the Biden administration did nothing about it. Instead, they sided with the radical activists who turned our campuses into cesspools of hatred.

Now, with President Trump back in the Oval Office, pro-Hamas students—and the colleges that enable them—are on notice. Recently, Secretary of State Rubio vowed to revoke visas and green cards from any foreign students who support terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. This is something I have long called for, which is why I am so pleased to see the administration taking action.

This month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a former Columbia University student from Syria, Mahmoud Khalil, who was a ringleader for his campus’s anti-Israel encampment. At these demonstrations, pro-Hamas activists spat on Jewish students, chanted “F— the Jews,” and held signs next to Jewish students claiming that they would be Hamas’s “next target.”

In many ways, Khalil was the perfect leader for this antisemitic, pro-terror movement. Before he enrolled at Columbia, he allegedly served as a political affairs officer with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. That is the same “aid” agency that has indoctrinated Palestinian children to hate Jews, stored Hamas’s weapons and ammunition in its schools and facilities in Gaza, employed known members of Hamas, and provided support and aid to terrorists.

There is no reason why someone like this should be allowed in our country to support terrorism and promote anti-Jewish bigotry. That’s why Secretary Rubio is intending to deport Khalil—which this administration has the full authority to do under our federal immigration laws. Instead of supporting this common-sense decision, however, Democrats are rallying around Khalil, with one senator calling his pending deportation “dangerous” and another comparing the administration to a “dictatorship.”

More than anything else, these statements show that Democrats care more about terror-supporting foreign activists than protecting American citizens. Thankfully, many more deportations will follow under President Trump, who is putting America first by removing any visitor to our country who aligns with terrorist organizations.

As this administration works to deport Hamas affiliates, I have introduced legislation to support their efforts. My bipartisan No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act would block any migrant tied to Hamas from entering our country. And my No Flights for Terrorists Act would put anyone on the No Fly List if they have pledged allegiance to Foreign Terrorist Organizations like Hamas.

President Trump is also vowing to pull federal funding from schools that fail to protect Jewish students from discrimination. Just this month, his administration canceled $400 million in grants and contracts with Columbia.

This is a good start. Right after Oct. 7, I joined Sen. Tim Scott in introducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act. This legislation would rescind federal funding for any university that authorizes, funds, or facilitates events that promote violent antisemitism. With such widespread failure from our nation’s colleges to protect Jewish students, there are billions of dollars on the line.

One thing should be clear: With President Trump back in the Oval Office and Republicans in the majority in Congress, pro-Hamas activists and colleges are going to face accountability. And if you are visiting our great nation and supporting terrorism, you will be deported.

(Marsha Blackburn represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.)