By: Fern Sidman

The upcoming People’s Conference for Palestine, scheduled to convene in Detroit later this week, has already ignited controversy at the highest levels of U.S. government. As The Algemeiner has learned, the Trump administration is actively reviewing—and may block—the visa applications of several international speakers due to alleged ties with terrorist groups and open expressions of support for violence against Israel and Jews.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to The Algemeiner that officials are placing all foreign speakers slated to attend the event under “look out” status, ensuring any visa applications will be scrutinized with extraordinary rigor. The conference, which will run from August 29 to 31, features a roster of radical anti-Zionist activists, including some with direct or indirect ties to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

“Given the public invite list seems to include a number of terrorist sympathizers, we are going through and ensuring all international speakers slated to attend the conference are being placed on a ‘look out’ status for visa applications,” the State Department spokesperson told The Algemeiner.

The official added: “In every case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought.”

This heightened scrutiny is part of the Trump administration’s broader overhaul of the U.S. visa system. Since returning to office earlier this year, the administration has expanded social media vetting for applicants, launched continuous monitoring of the 55 million existing visa holders, and revoked thousands of student visas in an effort to prevent terrorist sympathizers and antisemitic agitators from operating on American soil.

The Detroit gathering is expected to draw thousands of participants and will feature dozens of speakers and panelists. The program is organized by a coalition including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights—groups which, as The Algemeiner has reported, have long maintained ties with the PFLP, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, and have openly advocated for the boycott of Israel and an arms embargo against the Jewish state.

Panels carry incendiary titles such as “Documenting Genocide” and “Breaking the Siege,” which critics argue mischaracterize Israel’s military response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities. The rhetoric is strikingly aligned with the propaganda of terrorist organizations, portraying Israel’s defensive war as “genocidal” while omitting the role of Hamas in launching the conflict.

The lineup includes several U.S.-based activists with well-documented histories of anti-Israel and antisemitic agitation:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who addressed last year’s iteration of the conference, again features prominently. Her past participation sparked backlash after it was revealed the event had links to known PFLP figures.

Linda Sarsour, a controversial activist who has compared Zionism to “white supremacy in America” and accused Israel of promoting “Jewish supremacy.”

Miko Peled, a vocal proponent of the delegitimization of Israel.

Chris Smalls, a labor organizer who has embraced radical anti-Israel rhetoric in recent years.

As The Algemeiner report noted, the inclusion of such figures reflects the conference’s attempt to bridge anti-Israel activism with broader progressive and labor movements, creating a platform where virulent antisemitism can be repackaged under the guise of “human rights.”

Perhaps most alarming to U.S. officials are the foreign invitees, some of whom have been convicted of terrorism or openly glorified Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre.

Abed Abubaker, a Gaza-based propagandist, has praised Hamas as “resistance fighters” and lauded Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar. He has called for international supporters to “attack your governments” and defended the killing of dissidents as “necessary.” Abubaker was even celebrated as “journalist of the year” by Iran’s PressTV.

Omar Assaf, a former member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), served eight years in prison for terrorist activity.

Lama Ghosheh, a Palestinian journalist, was sentenced in 2023 to three years in prison by an Israeli court for incitement and glorification of terrorism.

Mosab Abu Toha, a Gaza-born writer, has publicly mocked Israeli hostages, denied the murder of the Bibas children, and spread antisemitic disinformation online.

Hussam Shaheen, once slated to speak but now removed from the official program, spent 27 years in prison for attempted murder and conspiracy to murder before being released in a hostage-prisoner exchange earlier this year.

According to the report on Tuesday in The Algemeiner, these individuals are not merely critics of Israeli policy but active or former participants in terrorism, raising sharp questions about whether U.S. soil should be used to amplify their voices.

The program also includes speakers with strong ties to American universities, where anti-Israel activism has escalated into harassment of Jewish students.

Hatem Bazian, co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and chair of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), has openly trafficked in antisemitic conspiracy theories. As reported by The Algemeiner, Bazian recently accused Jews of profiting from antisemitism and claimed that Israel seeks to conquer “most of the Middle East, including Mecca and Medina.”

Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the anti-Israel encampment movement at Columbia University, has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities for activities “aligned to Hamas.” In a CNN interview last month, Khalil refused to condemn Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities, a position that further fueled outrage.

These campus-linked activists embody the fusion of academic radicalism and terrorist apologia, a dynamic that U.S. officials now see as a direct threat to both campus safety and national security.

The Detroit conference takes place against the backdrop of surging antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad, particularly following Hamas’s invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Jewish communities have faced escalating harassment, intimidation, and violence, much of it fueled by precisely the narratives being promoted at conferences such as this one.

As The Algemeiner report observed, the deliberate blurring of lines between anti-Zionism and antisemitism has emboldened extremists to target Jews under the pretext of opposing Israel. The participation of individuals with terrorist backgrounds further validates the view that such gatherings serve less as academic or activist forums than as incubators of hate and radicalization.

For the Trump administration, the decision to potentially block visas for conference speakers will serve as a defining test of its pledge to restore security and confront antisemitism. Supporters argue that preventing individuals with records of glorifying terrorism from entering the U.S. is a necessary measure to protect Jewish communities and uphold American values. Critics, however, are likely to decry it as an infringement on free expression and academic freedom.

Yet as The Algemeiner report pointed out, the debate is not about silencing criticism of Israel but about whether U.S. immigration policy should facilitate platforms for those who have praised or participated in acts of terror.

The People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit is poised to be a flashpoint in America’s struggle to confront the intersection of antisemitism, radical activism, and foreign influence. With a lineup that includes convicted terrorists, apologists for Hamas, and high-profile anti-Zionist activists, the gathering embodies the concerns driving Washington’s intensified visa scrutiny.

The Trump administration’s review of visa applications represents more than a bureaucratic procedure—it is a litmus test of America’s resolve to ensure its soil does not become a platform for those who glorify terror and vilify Jews under the guise of political discourse.