Zinke, House Republicans Introduce Bill to Expel Newly Arrived Palestinians from US: 'Keeps America Safe'
Revolted by the slaughter of Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists, a GOP congressman is proposing a ban on allowing Palestinians into the U.S.
Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana announced the Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act in a Thursday news release.
The release said that to prevent “Palestinian terrorists” from entering the U.S. through legal immigration methods, the bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to stop granting visas, refugee status and asylum to anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport.
The bill would revoke the visas of PA passport holders issued after Oct. 1, as well as the refugee status and asylum of such individuals if requested after that date.
Federal authorities would also be ordered to “identify and remove covered aliens without lawful status (including newly revoked status),” the release said.
I will not compromise on our national security. America First has to mean something. pic.twitter.com/kvT6kCJPgI
— Ryan Zinke (@RyanZinke) November 3, 2023
“This legislation keeps America safe. I don’t trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States,” Zinke said. “This is the most anti-Hamas immigration legislation I have seen and it’s well deserved.
“Given the circumstances, the threats to our immigration system and the history of terrorists abusing refugee, asylum and visa processes all over the world, the requirements in this bill are necessary to keep Americans safe,” he said.
The bill is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Aaron Bean and Bill Posey of Florida, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Barry Moore of Alabama, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Andy Biggs of Arizona.
“This … is a very, very hard and harsh bill. Absolutely,” Zinke said, according to Fox News.
“I think this is the most stringent anti-Gaza, anti-Hamas immigration … bill ever, and I can tell you this administration is deserving of it because, to date, I haven’t seen them screen anybody,” he said.
Last month, Republican lawmakers called for the deportation of Hamas supporters in the U.S. on student visas, according to a news release from Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina.
Duncan and Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana led 17 other Republicans in writing a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken voicing their concerns.
The letter noted that foreign students in the U.S. can be disqualified from holding a visa if they “endorse or espouse terror activity.”
The Republican lawmakers said pro-Hamas demonstrations on college campuses across the country “are most reasonably interpreted as endorsing or espousing terrorism.”
“Similarly, praising mass murder … and glorifying the perpetrators of such atrocities as ‘martyrs’ are clear endorsements of terrorism and terrorist organizations,” the letter said.
Duncan said in a statement, “If you’re a visitor to our country and support Hamas’ gruesome murder of innocent babies and killing people while they sleep, then you do not get to remain in America and enjoy freedoms that are antithetical to the terrorist extremists you support.”
“We need to shut down our border and then deport all non-citizen Hamas sympathizers,” Banks said. “The Biden administration has the legal authority and an obligation to do both — anything less betrays America’s national security.”
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