Trump supports terrorism but will not help the terrorists.
President Trump announced today that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States would intervene, stating, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” This is not only support for protesters but also encourages protesters as it shows a Superpower’s support for protest actions, which include regime change.
It is reported that protesters have thrown stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs Foundation, the town hall and banks.
The United States ally, Israel, asserts, and the United States does not object to the characterization of rock throwing as a terrorist act. In fact, Israel detains and then imprisons large numbers of children for rock throwing. America does not squawk about it which sure looks like tacit approval/agreement.
U.S. law defines international terrorism as, among other things, actions involving violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion. Assuming that the United States, like Israeli, believes that rock throwing is terrorism, and assuming the rock throwers and their fellow-travelers are trying to change policies of the regime if not actual regime change, then the rock throwers are committing terrorist activities.
In the immigration context, a person cannot be granted asylum or withholding of removal and is deportable if they engaged in terrorist activity or belong to a terrorist organization. A terrorist activity is defined as, among other things, the use of any … weapon or dangerous device with intent to endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property; or a threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing.
Again, accepting the notion that rocks are deadly objects that endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property, demonstrators are engaging in terrorist activities. While individual protesters may not throw rocks, if they associate and assist others who do, not only in recognized terrorist organizations, but even a group of two or more individuals, whether organized or not, which engages in, or has a subgroup which engages in, terrorist activities such as rock throwing, would be a member of a terrorist organization, ineligible for asylum or withholding of removal and subject to deportation.
It is ironic that the president supports people engaging in terrorist activities in Iran who, should they then be in danger because of these activities in Iran, would not be eligible for the normal protections of asylum or withholding of removal should they flee to United States and seek asylum. Even if a person was forced to gather rocks for a demonstration where rocks are thrown, he could still be ineligible for these humanitarian protections.
People associated with terrorist organizations that support United States policy objectives and have the support of the United States political policy class would also be barred from relief and deported. Such was the recent conclusion of the Board of Immigation Appeals in a case of a former member (he belonged nearly forty years ago) of an Iranian opposition group hostile to the Ayatollahs in Iran and supported by the America’s elites.
While America encourages people to put themselves at risk of being harshly persecuted for protesting the government, these protesters should be aware that the United States unambiguously does not have their backs. This should be of no surprise – just ask the Afghanis. Posted January 2, 2026.