Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Montana), who formerly served as Secretary of the Interior under the Trump administration, has introduced a new bill known as the "Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act." This legislation proposes measures that could potentially prohibit Palestinians from entering the United States and may lead to the expulsion of those who are already present in the country.

The proposed bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop granting visas, asylum, and refuge to individuals with Palestinian Authority-issued passports. Additionally, the bill seeks to retroactively cancel the entry or visa status of those who entered the United States.

“This legislation keeps America safe,” Zinke said. “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. 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. This bill does exactly that.”

Rep. Zinke's bill targets recent Palestinian visa holders, with a title suggesting broader expulsion. The FBI expresses concerns about potential U.S. violence inspired by the Israel-Hamas conflict, mentioning threats against Jews and a recent Palestinian boy's tragic murder in Illinois.

“On top of the homegrown violent extremists and domestic violent extremist threat, we also cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or another foreign terrorist organization may exploit the current conflict to conduct attacks here on our own soil,” Wray said.

Zinke's proposed bill seeks to prevent DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from offering Temporary Protected Status, refugee status, and asylum to individuals holding a Palestinian Authority-issued passport. The bill instructs DHS to collaborate with Customs Enforcement and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to actively "identify" and remove individuals lacking lawful status, including those whose status has recently been revoked. This legislation could have significant implications for the immigration policies and enforcement strategies of the United States.

 This legislation's introduction follows a prior action taken by GOP lawmakers in October. During that instance, they wrote letters to both Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, urging them to revoke the visas of students with temporary student visas who were found to have expressed support for Hamas and to deport them. This call was made in the aftermath of the deadly attack on Israel that occurred on October 7, which resulted in the tragic loss of more than 1,400 lives.

Zinke's bill is supported by 10 co-sponsors, including Representatives Andy Harris (R-Md.), Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).

Image source: The Hill