US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday allegedly aimed at combating antisemitism, resulting in the revocation of the visa of The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) student Liu Lijun, a Chinese national arrested for organizing pro-Palestine rallies.

 

This move, following the events of October 7, 2023, promises swift action by the Justice Department to address what the administration describes as an "explosion of antisemitism on campuses and streets" across the US.

 

It also threatens visa cancellations for international students involved in pro-Palestine activism.

 

Lijun’s case is one of the first to be impacted by the order, marking a significant development in the federal crackdown on campus activism linked to antisemitism.

 

The executive order instructs the US Education, State, and Homeland Security departments to create guidelines for monitoring and reporting the activities of foreign students and staff within two months.

 

Los Angeles Times reported that activists in California, home to some of the largest student protests, are now on alert following the order.

 

Lijun was among hundreds of protesters at UCLA, demonstrating against Israeli Occupation's actions in Gaza. The protests intensified in May 2024, leading to clashes and injuries when law enforcement raided a solidarity encampment.

 

Lijun’s deportation aligns with a broader national trend of suppressing pro-Palestine activism on US campuses, which began at Columbia University and spread to other universities, including UCLA.

 

As tensions rise between student activists and government authorities, concerns have emerged that the broad language of the executive order could lead to the targeting of international students involved in protests, regardless of unlawful behavior.

 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the order, calling it an infringement on free speech, which is protected by the US Constitution, according to The Los Angeles Times.