On January 29, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14188, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” which directs executive agencies to use existing civil and criminal authorities to address antisemitism and related unlawful conduct on U.S. college campuses.
The order cites the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack as context for increased antisemitic incidents and directs agency heads to submit reports within 60 days identifying legal authorities and pending civil-rights complaints related to post-October-7 campus antisemitism.
The White House fact sheet and subsequent administration statements made clear the order is intended to target unlawful acts — for example, threats, vandalism, arson, violence, or material support for designated terrorist organizations — and to use immigration tools in some circumstances where non-citizens have violated U.S. law. Those statements also said student visas could be revoked for individuals who participate in or support unlawful activity.
After the order, federal agencies (including DHS/ICE and DOJ components) carried out enforcement actions in some cases: SEVIS records and student visas for certain non-citizen students were revoked, and some individuals have been detained or faced immigration enforcement. Reporting shows hundreds to thousands of SEVIS terminations and visa cancellations were initiated, and the administration said it would pursue revocations for those it identified as supporting or facilitating violence or terrorism.
These measures have provoked lawsuits and legal challenges. In May 2025 a federal judge issued a nationwide order blocking aspects of the administration’s termination of some international students’ immigration status while litigation proceeds; other court actions and administrative reversals have also affected how and when SEVIS terminations and visa revocations are implemented.
In short: the executive order empowers and directs agencies to pursue enforcement against unlawful antisemitic conduct and contemplates using immigration authorities (including visa revocation and removal) in appropriate cases, but it does not itself automatically deport all foreign students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests. Whether and how broadly deportations or visa cancellations occur depends on agency actions, individual case facts, enforcement decisions, and ongoing court rulings.
