State Department using AI to track pro-Palestinian social media posts by visa holders

The U.S. State Department‘s new AI-driven initiative targets foreign student visa holders who express pro-Palestinian views on social media, marking a significant expansion in using artificial intelligence for immigration enforcement. This move follows President Trump‘s January executive order to combat antisemitism and his pledge to deport non-citizens involved in pro-Palestinian protests amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. The implementation of AI surveillance in visa enforcement raises important questions about the intersection of national security, free speech protections, and the evolving role of technology in government monitoring.

The big picture: The State Department is implementing an AI-powered “Catch and Revoke” program to identify and revoke visas of foreign students perceived as supporters of Hamas.

• The initiative will use artificial intelligence to review tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts for content deemed supportive of Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
• This program represents a notable expansion of AI applications in immigration enforcement and political speech monitoring.

How it works: Officials are examining news reports of anti-Israel demonstrations and reviewing Jewish students’ lawsuits that highlight alleged antisemitic actions by foreign nationals.

• The State Department is coordinating this effort with the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security, according to Axios.
• The three departments had not provided immediate comment on the reported initiative.

Key context: Trump signed an executive order in January targeting antisemitism and has promised to deport non-citizen college students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

• On Tuesday, Trump stated he would stop federal funding for educational institutions allowing what he termed “illegal protests,” adding that “agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came.”
• The initiative unfolds against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages.

Complications: Many pro-Palestinian groups include Jewish members, and numerous protesters have explicitly denounced both antisemitism and Hamas.

• Rights advocates have condemned Trump’s rhetoric toward protesters, noting that the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protects freedom of speech and assembly.
• The conflict has seen incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia at pro-Palestinian protests and pro-Israeli counter-protests.

The broader impact: Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in more than 48,000 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza authorities, with allegations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies.

• The conflict has internally displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza.
• The use of AI to monitor political speech raises significant questions about constitutional protections and the boundaries of government surveillance.