US has ‘zero-tolerance towards siding with terrorists’: White House

The White House said the Trump administration will not tolerate individuals who are supporting “terrorists”, accusing Palestinian Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who was recently detained, of distributing pro-Hamas documents.

“This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organisations that have killed Americans,” the White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists,” she said.

The Palestinian activist was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who said they were revoking his green card, when he arrived at his home at a student resident facility with his wife, who is eight months pregnant.

Leavitt said that the Secretary of State has a legal right to revoke green cards or visas for those who act against the foreign policy and security of the US.

Earlier, the Huffington Post reported that 14 US representatives sent a letter to the secretary of homeland security, calling for the immediate release of the Palestinian activist.