GEOFF BENNETT: Late yesterday, a federal# judge ordered the Justice Department to## restore the revoked visas of a Mexican# student and a British student and issued## a temporary restraining order# preventing their deportations.

It's the latest case of international students# targeted by the Trump administration's crackdown.## According to immigration attorneys, over 1,000# student visas have been revoked this year, as the## Trump State Department argues that some students'# actions threaten U.S. foreign policy interests.

Nick Schifrin has more on the# policy and its implications.

NICK SCHIFRIN: When Mahmoud Khalil,# a Palestinian student activist at## Columbia University, was arrested in early# March, the Justice Department submitted a## brief that included a memo signed# by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He wrote -- quote -- "An alien is deportable# from the United States if the secretary of## state has reasonable ground to believe that the# alien's presence or activities in the U.S. would## have potentially serious adverse foreign# policy consequences for the United States."

Rubio wrote that Khalil and another unnamed# fellow green card holder's public actions and## continued presence undermine U.S. policy# to combat antisemitism around the world## and in the United States, in addition# to efforts to protect Jewish students.

It's unclear how many cases the State Department# has invoked foreign policy when it comes to visa## revocations or deportations, but it's# also cited in court documents filed in## the case of Yunseo Chung, a green card# holder originally from South Korea who,## like Khalil, protested the war in# Gaza on Columbia University's campus.

Last month, Rubio said this when asked why# the State Department was taking these steps: MARCO RUBIO, U.S. Secretary of State: I don't# care what movement you're involved in.

Why## would any country in the world allow people to# come and disrupt?

We gave you a visa to come and## study and get a degree, not to become a social# activist that tears up our university campuses.

And if we have given you a visa# and then you decide to do that,## we're going to take it away.

It might# be more than 300 at this point.

We do## it every day.

Every time I find one of# these lunatics, I take away their visa.

NICK SCHIFRIN: To discuss these# visa revocations and attempted## deportations and their link to# foreign policy, we get two views.

Chad Wolf is the executive vice president# of the America First Policy Institute and## the former acting secretary of the Department# of Homeland Security during the first Trump## administration.

And Richard Haass is# the president emeritus of the Council## on Foreign Relations and author of# the weekly Substack Home & Away.

Richard Haass, Chad Wolf, thank you# very much.

Welcome to the "News Hour."

Richard Haass, let me start with you.

Do you believe it is in the U.S.# foreign policy interest to revoke these## visas and possibly deport these student activists?

RICHARD HAASS, President Emeritus, Council# on Foreign Relations: As a rule, no.

Foreign students, we have about a million# of them in the country right now.

They## contribute to the economy if they stay here.# There's a lot of Fortune 100 companies that## began because of international students.# If they become elites in their country,## then we have pro-American elites.# They also contribute financially to## American colleges and universities.# They're central to the business model.

So I think this is a win-win-win situation.# And I think we interfere with this program## really at our peril.

And coming back to what mar# was saying, if American foreign policy is that## fragile that the comments of a couple of kids on# campuses is going to somehow jeopardize American## foreign policy, then we have got much bigger# problems than a few international students.

Last I checked, we won the Cold War, we won# the Gulf War, and we have had a lot of other## accomplishments in the world, despite# the fact that we have had some critical## voices in international students.

So let's not# overreact to what is a really, really small issue.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Are the comments, Chad Wolf,## are the actions of foreign students# a threat to U.S. foreign policy?

CHAD WOLF, Former Acting U.S. Secretary# of Homeland Security: Well, look, I## think they can be.

Again, we're talking about -- an.. 300 students that he's revoked out of one# million.

So we're not talking about half.## We're talking about less than half of a percent.# DHS certainly has a right to remove students## from the United States.

I think it's important# to remember that a student visa is a benefit## that the United States government provides# that individual to come over here and study.

It's not a right.

You have to adhere to certain# requirements in order to maintain your visa and## stay here in the United States.

And if government# officials like Secretary Rubio determine that## you have violated the requirements of# that student visa, then, absolutely,## if you want to continue to support, openly# support a foreign terrorist organization, well,## guess what?

You're not going to do that from the# United States.

You're going to do it elsewhere.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Richard Haass, take# those points on.

It's a small percentage## of these students.

And as Chad Wolf just# said and as Rubio has alleged, these students## are described as supporting Hamas, even though# they describe themselves as protesting Israel.

RICHARD HAASS: To be critical of Israel does not# make one an antisemite, even to be sympathetic## for various Palestinian movements.

I draw the# line of support for violence, for raising money## for organizations like Hamas.

They cross# that line, we have ways of dealing for it.

Indeed, we have two systems here for# dealing with it.

One is the American## legal system.

If someone crosses lines --# and I would say this would apply to anyone,## an American citizen or an international# student -- we have ways of dealing with it.

But, secondly, the colleges and universities# have their own codes of conduct, and they have## due process they can offer, and then they have# remedies.

But, otherwise, I think we have got to## have a fairly open idea about free speech.

And,# again, American foreign policy can handle even## the jaundiced views, however we might find them# objectionable, of some international students.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chad Wolf, why# should the U.S. government,## why should the secretary of state be involved in# this, when there are instances of due process of## the courts taking this up, or, in# fact, the universities themselves?

CHAD WOLF: Well, sure, again, this isn't# about free speech.

This is about a line## that is crossed when individuals# -- individuals can go out there## and then criticize President Trump.

They can# criticize any politician for almost any reason.

But when they advocate for support# for a terrorist organization,## that is where I think the majority of the# Americans, certainly President Trump and## his team say that is a line too far.

And# this idea that we're going to let higher## ed kind of police themselves, I think most# Americans would say that's absolutely a joke.

We saw where Columbia and Harvard and all these# folks, they weren't doing anything while Jewish## students were absolutely afraid to go out# of their dorms and onto these campuses.

It's## been clear that these schools cannot police# themselves.

So don't think that this is the## first time that we're removing students out# of the U.S.

It's certainly not.

Obviously,## these are higher-profile cases, so# they're garnering a lot more attention.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Richard Haass, is there a# question of these campuses being able to do this?

RICHARD HAASS: Well, after October 7,# 2023, I think we saw in many campuses,## including Columbia, that the universities were# not handling it right.

And the interests and## rights and safety of Jewish students and other# students, for that matter, was compromised.

Since then, there's been an awful# lot of learning and an awful lot of## reform on campuses.

The question# that where the line to be drawn,## at what point does anti-Zionism become# antisemitism, that's a big conversation.## And it's not necessarily one I think the secretary# of state ought to be spending his time working on.

Again, that I think is for campuses.# And it's really a larger conversation## in this country about what is# legitimate criticism of Israel## and where does criticism of Israel cross# the line and it becomes illegitimate?

NICK SCHIFRIN: And finally, Chad# Wolf, in the time we have left,## are there any questions for you on due process# in this case?

Khalil, some of thes.. are specifically named by Rubio have said# that they themselves committed no violence,## they don't support Hamas, they were# only protesting Israeli actions.

CHAD WOLF: What I have found in many of these# cases is there's more information that's not in## the public domain, the background on these# individuals, what they did in their home## countries, their associations, and other things# that are at play here that U.S. law enforcement## is looking at, DHS is looking at, as they take# these certain actions to remove these individuals.

There's a lot of work that goes into each of# these.

It's not just, hey, we see someone making## public comments on TV.

Let's go remove them.

But,# surely, if anyone questions that, they should## have their right to say, hey, you're saying this# person needs to be removed.

I'm not that person.

I think in that call, it is the# federal government's call to make.

CHAD WOLF: Again, it's a benefit.

Again, no one's# entitled to a student visa.

The United States,## like any other country, provides# you a benefit to come here.

And we expect certain -- you# to meet certain requirements## of that student visa.

And if you choose not to,## then it should be the United States federal# government's position to be able to remove you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Chad Wolf, Richard# Haass, thank you very much.