US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that foreign nationals in the country who show support for the Palestinian group Hamas or other groups whom the administration designates as “terrorist organizations” will face visa denial and deportation.

“The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law — including international students — face visa denial or revocation, and deportation,” Rubio wrote on X.

He said those who support designated terrorist organizations including Hamas threaten US national security.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the State Department will determine who it considers a Hamas supporter.

According to the Axios news website, citing senior State Department officials, the initiative, dubbed “Catch and Revoke,” will use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to scan the social media accounts of tens of thousands of individuals holding foreign student visas to assess whether they have expressed support for Hamas following the group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

The decision came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to combat antisemitism, which lays a framework that could lead to the deportation of students in the US participating in pro-Palestinian protests.

Critics argue that the order aims to suppress pro-Palestine demonstrations from university campuses to public spaces across the country and shape public perception of Israel. (Anadolu Agency)