Sen. Cotton urges DHS to deport foreign nationals who support Hamas: 'No place in the United States'

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to deport foreign nationals, including people in the U.S. on student visas, who have expressed support for Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel.

In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday, Cotton demanded the department take immediate action to remove the foreign nationals, who the GOP lawmaker says have "no place" in the U.S.

"I write to urge you to immediately deport any foreign national—including and especially any alien on a student visa—that has expressed support for Hamas and its murderous attacks on Israel. These fifth-columnists have no place in the United States," Cotton wrote.

"Federal law is clear that any alien who 'endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization' is inadmissible and must be deported," he continued. "Swiftly removing and permanently barring from future reentry any foreign student who signed onto or shared approvingly the anti-Semitic letter from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee on October 7 would be a good place to start."

Shortly after the attack on Oct. 7, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups released a statement signed by about 30 student organizations that read, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence."

The statement was later deleted after student organizations began removing their signatures amid bipartisan backlash and some CEOs demanding the names of the students who signed it.