Washington DC - Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning to use artificial intelligence in an apparent bid to cancel the visas of international students engaged in Palestine solidarity actions.

State Department officials told Axios the "Catch and Revoke" program will involve AI-assisted reviews of student visa holders' social media accounts to determine whether they supposedly support Hamas or other groups designated by the US as terror organizations.

Officials will also look at news reports on pro-Palestine demonstrations and Jewish students' lawsuits over allegedly antisemitic activity on campuses.

The State Department is reportedly working with Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security to institute the program.

Daily Horoscope Today's horoscope: Free daily horoscope for Friday, April 4, 2025

Opponents have warned the Trump administration's reported move would essentially criminalize peaceful political dissent, in violation of the US Constitution.

The use of AI technology has also sparked alarms over potential misidentifications and privacy violations.

"This should concern all Americans. This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue and the administration will overplay its hand," Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said in a statement. "Americans won’t like this. They’ll view this as capitulating free speech rights for a foreign nation."

Donald Trump in January signed an executive order pledging to combat antisemitism and deport non-citizen college students participating in Palestine solidarity protests. The administration has threatened federal funding for colleges and universities that allow such demonstrations.

"Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS!" Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday.