Senate Blocks Rubio Resolution to Revoke Visas of Hamas Supporters

The horrific attack perpetrated by Hamas against Israel on October 7th created a firestorm of antisemitism in America. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced resolutions demanding people in the US on student or work visas who condoned Hamas' atrocities have those visas revoked and their holders deported. The Senate has blocked this resolution a second time.

More egregiously, the decision was made within hours of pro-Palestine protesters storming the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington demanding a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that quickly became violent.

In his press release, Sen. Rubio said, "A visa is not a constitutional right. It is a temporary permission for foreign nationals to visit our country. Supporting terrorism, as defined by U.S. law, disqualifies individuals from having a visa. It makes no sense to protect foreign nationals who support terrorism, but that is exactly what the Senate just voted to do."

The resolution was initially introduced in mid-October, with Sen. Rubio declaring it was "common sense" and that "You’re a visitor…You’re here because we gave you a visa to be here temporarily. And now you’re out there defending and supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. You need to go."

Shortly after at the beginning of November, Rubio introduced two additional bills aimed at further cracking down on Hamas and domestic support for the group. The first, named the Ending Subsidies for Pro-Terrorist Activities on Campus Act, would demand colleges and universities actively discourage and investigate incidences of antisemitism and pro-terrorist sentiment displayed on their campuses.

The second, the Terrorist Inadmissibility Codification Act largely resembled Rubio's resolution in denying visas to sympathizers of Hamas and other terrorist organizations.

Further efforts made by Rubio included his encouragement of the Senate to pass a House bill aimed at sanctioning Hamas, saying, "We must hold accountable the individuals who are aiding Hamas terrorists and Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

As luck would have it, the United States and the United Kingdom recently announced joint sanctions against the terrorist group, though Rubio said this was too late.