(Politico) A top State Department official vigorously defended the Trump administration’s drive to cancel the visas of pro-Palestinian academics, arguing that the effort does not abridge free speech and targets students who are supporting terrorism or promoting antisemitism.
John Armstrong, State’s top consular official, testified Friday at a trial in a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of pursuing an unconstitutional “ideological deportation” policy. He denied that such an initiative is underway.
“I have heard that accusation. I believe it’s groundless,” said Armstrong, who has worked at the diplomatic agency for more than 30 years.
“I run the Bureau of Consular Affairs. I’m responsible for everything those 13,000 people do,” Armstrong added. “I would know if there’s an ideological deportation policy going on that involved the Bureau of Consular Affairs. It’s silly to suggest that there’s such a policy that I wouldn’t know about.”
