VA Attorney General Joins State AGs Calling for Removal of Foreign Students Who Support Terrorists

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Monday he is joining a coalition of 20 state attorneys general sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas calling for the prompt removal of foreign student visa holders who have endorsed terror activity or provided material support to foreign terrorist organizations.

"The terrorist attack on Israel cannot be justified or rationalized. Supporting or endorsing the terrorist organizations who committed the acts is not only immoral but un-American and peddles dangerous misinformation. Foreign student visa holders endorsing or supporting terrorist organizations do not deserve the privilege and opportunity provided to them," Miyares said in a statement. 

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, "{a}ny alien who … endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization" is "ineligible to receive {a} visa and ineligible to be admitted to the United States." 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(B)(i)(VII). Additionally, anyone who "knowingly provides material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, or attempts or conspires to do so" commits a federal crime. 18 U.S.C. 2339B(a)(1).

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As CBN News has reported, antisemitic hate continues to be directed against Israel by students demonstrating in support of Palestinians on multiple college and university campuses across the U.S.  

A campus group behind the Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions (BDS)  movement is Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). After the Hamas attack, Boston University's SJP chapter posted that "victory is ours."

Late last month, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration ordered state universities to ban the pro-Palestinian student organization from campuses, saying it illegally backs Hamas terrorists who murdered Israeli civilians earlier this month.

Some organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, have called out this organization and other student-led groups. But the state of Florida went further, saying the SJP is supporting a "terrorist organization."

The U.S. State Department designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997. The European Union and other Western countries also consider it a terrorist organization.

The SJP has been on U.S. campuses for almost two decades with frequent protests calling for the liberation of Palestinians and boycotts against Israel. The group claims it has more than 200 chapters across North America. 

Palestine Legal, a group that provides legal support for pro-Palestinian groups, said the ban on SJP is part of a broader effort by DeSantis to suppress freedom of speech on campuses.

"Florida, particularly under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, has been actively undermining education, freedom of speech, and social justice movements, including by banning anti-racist courses and trying to criminalize protests. It is not surprising that this egregious move to silence the student movement for Palestinian rights is being pursued under DeSantis," it said in a statement.

As CBN News reported earlier this month, Miyares opened an investigation into AJP Educational Foundation, Inc., also known as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), for potential violations of Virginia's charitable solicitation laws.

The AJP Educational Foundation Inc. is a public nonprofit with headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. Its website explains the "Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation (AJP) is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, and is the fiscal sponsor of The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)."

AMP has been a major promoter of massive pro-Palestinian protests across the U.S. demanding a cease-fire in Gaza, according to The Ohio Star. 

The group reportedly has been a major promoter of the Hamas-inspired BDS movement against Israel, the outlet reported.

CBN News reached out to the AJP Educational Foundation Inc. for comment. In a statement, the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) called Miyares' announcement "the latest attempt to smear and silence American Muslims who speak up for Palestinian human rights," labeling the investigation "not only defamatory but dangerous."