SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Foreign students affiliated with universities linked to antisemitic activity can now be denied immigration benefits, according to a Department of Homeland Security policy change. This could directly impact students at UCSD.
"It's not only aggressive, it's violent," said Doris Bittar with the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee.
The DHS made a significant shift in immigration policy. The announcement made Wednesday morning states that antisemitic activity on social media will affect a person's application for permanent residency.
The policy specifically connects this to foreign students.
"I would not call criticism of Israel or our U.S. foreign policy antisemitism," Bittar said.
It brings up a blaring question with an answer that Arabs and Israelis don't usually agree on: How do you define antisemitism?
"Simply put, antisemitism is the hatred and discrimination against Jews, as well as hatred towards Israel in modern context," said Daniella Baird, an Israeli student with Tritons for Israel at UCSD. "Israel is the one place Jews have now that we can feel safe. Taking Israel away would take that away from us."
The U.S. Department of State has a definition of antisemitism, but how it'll be interpreted in these cases is unclear.
Part of the definition includes certain negative perceptions of Israel as antisemitic, including claiming that its existence is "racist" and holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel.
"If someone openly expresses hatred toward Jews, America, or democratic values, it's reasonable to question whether their presence here strengthens or threatens civil society," Baird said.
"A Jewish homeland is a wonderful aspiration,” Bittar said. “So is a Palestinian homeland. None of that can happen if we're constantly coupling Judaism with Zionism."
Bittar said the Trump administration is silencing non-citizens with different opinions.
"That's what we should be nourishing: discussion. So we can have some resolution where everyone is free,” Bitter said.
She worries this policy could be used to target Arabs who disagree with the administration's agenda.
The State Department issued similar guidance in March. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says more than 300 visas had already been revoked under this criteria.
Liat Cohen-Reeis, the Director of the Antisemitism Task Force in San Diego at StandWithUs, told 10News she hopes DHS will apply the U.S. Department of State's definition of antisemitism in implementing this policy.
"That’s why we need to turn to the IHRA definition," Cohen-Reeis said. "The IHRA definition of antisemitism, already adopted by over 40 countries, over 30 U.S. States, and over 1,200 institutions worldwide functions as a critical tool for helping governments, law enforcement, and other institutions, identify and respond to unlawful acts of antisemitism. Importantly, the IHRA definition provides eleven crucial examples, helping demonstrate how antisemitism occurs in older and newer forms."
