How US reportedly plans to use AI to deport students
What's the story
The US State Department, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, is launching an AI-powered initiative called "Catch and Revoke."
The program will revoke visas of foreign nationals suspected of supporting Hamas or other recognized terrorist organizations, Axios reported.
The initiative will use AI technology to analyze the social media activity of thousands of student visa holders, marking a major expansion of the US government's surveillance over the behavior and speech of foreign nationals.
Targeted scrutiny
Focus on social media activity post-Hamas attack
The AI system will mainly analyze social media activity for indications of possible terrorist support, especially after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Officials also intend to examine internal databases to find any visa holders arrested but allowed to stay in the US during the Biden administration.
The effort includes examining news reports of anti-Israel protests and lawsuits by Jewish students involving foreign nationals allegedly engaging in antisemitic behavior without repercussions.
Inter-departmental cooperation
Collaboration across government departments for 'Catch and revoke'
For the initiative, the State Department is working with the Justice and Homeland Security departments in what a senior official termed a "whole of government and whole of authority approach."
To launch "Catch and Revoke," federal officials combed through 100,000 people in the Student Exchange Visitor System since October 2023.
They were searching for any cases where visas were revoked due to arrests or school suspensions.
Legal backing
Historical context and legal authority for visa revocation
The Immigration Nationality Act of 1952 gives the Secretary of State the authority to revoke visas from foreigners deemed a threat.
"We see people marching at our universities and in the streets of our country ... calling for Intifada, celebrating what Hamas has done...Those people need to go," Rubio had said in 2023.
Former President Donald Trump reiterated similar sentiments in a January 30 White House fact sheet concerning an executive order aimed at antisemitism at "pro-Hamas" activity.
Free speech concerns
Concerns raised over potential impact on free speech
"To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice. We will find you, and...deport you," Trump said.
Abed Ayoub, head of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said, "This should concern all Americans."
"This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue and the administration will overplay its hand," he was quoted as saying by Axios.
"With the advent of AI, it's even scarier because they're policing speech and using faulty technology," Ayoub said.