'Go home… or go to jail': Indian Green Card holders face deportation threats under Trump's hardline policy

The Trump administration increased its efforts to suppress pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activism in the US. They now issued a stark warning to foreign students and green card holders in the US, stating that any involvement in activities perceived as threats to national security—particularly those linked to terrorism—could lead to deportation, according to a report by Times of India.

Officials have indicated a strict stance on political activism by foreign nationals, including participation in anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses, which they argue show support for groups like Hamas.

Crackdown on foreign students over political activism

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, made the administration’s position clear. "No one has the ‘right’ to a visa or a green card. If you support terrorism we don’t want you here," he stated.

The remarks follow the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, for alleged support of the Palestinian cause during campus protests. A New York judge has temporarily halted his deportation, but his case remains under review.

Miller, known for his strict immigration policies, reinforced his stance in a post on X: "Vast numbers of foreign nationals who support terrorism and reject American values have been awarded visas. Revoking them is a national security imperative."

DHS confirms arrest linked to Hamas

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Khalil was arrested due to "activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization." Officials framed this as part of the Trump administration’s broader national security strategy.

While Judge Jesse Furman of New York has issued a stay on Khalil’s deportation pending further legal review, the administration may invoke the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. This law allows for the deportation of foreign nationals whose activities are considered a serious threat to U.S. foreign policy.

Homan suggested Khalil’s case could be the start of a broader crackdown. President Trump reinforced this in a social media post: "ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of @Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come."

Trump further stated, "We know there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it."

Meanwhile, some Trump supporters argue that even naturalized citizens expressing similar views should face deportation. As Khalil’s case unfolds, it serves as a major test of how U.S. authorities interpret immigration law in the context of political activism.