Immigration authorities announced on Wednesday that social media activity perceived as anti-Semitic, as well as the "physical harassment of Jewish" people, will now be grounds for denying applicants US visas and permanent residency.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the new guidance will take effect immediately and affect those applying for green cards, student visas and teaching positions at universities.
“There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathisers and we are under no obligation to admit them or let them stay here,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs."
She said Kristi Noem, US Secretary of Homeland Security, "has made it clear that anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for anti-Semitic violence and terrorism – think again. You are not welcome here.”
Under the new rule, authorities will consider social media content that indicates support for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the Houthis as grounds for the rejection of visas and said the move would protect the US from extremists and "terrorist aliens".
The move follows President Donald Trump's executive order, signed in January, that called for the revocation of visas of foreign students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses as part of what the administration has called an effort to combat anti-Semitism.
The Trump administration has said anti-Semitism on campuses and elsewhere has risen sharply since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and triggered the war on Gaza, now 18 months old.
However, free speech advocates and pro-Palestinian groups fear the measures are being used to silence critics of a war that has killed more than 50,800 Palestinians in Gaza and reduced much of the coastal enclave to rubble.
Whether the measure will be applied to people currently in the US legally and already vetted has yet to be established.
The practice of immigration officials monitoring social media activity is not new. It is known date back to the second term of former president Barack Obama (2013-2017) – though was perhaps in operation earlier – and intensified during Mr Trump's first term in office (2017-2021).
The development comes amid the high-profile case of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card-holding Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate who was detained by plainclothes immigration officials last month. Authorities say he supported Hamas, without providing evidence, and moved to revoke his green card and have him deported.
An immigration judge on Tuesday said the government has until 5pm on Wednesday to present evidence as to why Mr Khalil, who served as a negotiator with the Columbia administration during the student protests at the university in New York City last year, should be deported.
The judge said that without compelling evidence, she may order his release on Friday.
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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