Private groups work to identify, report student protesters for possible deportation

Private groups work to identify, report student protesters for possible deportation.

Facial-recognition technology used to identify protesters at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Some groups pushing for deportations say their focus is on students whose actions go beyond marching in protests.

Efforts have stirred anxiety among foreign students worried activism could jeopardize their legal status.

Immigration Department says it is not “working with’s Betar , nor has it received any hotline tips from the group.

Betar spokesman says some people on its list were identified using a facial-recognition tool created by his company.

The software takes its name from the Hebrew word for “eagle” Hawila , a native of Lebanon , is no stranger to controversy.

The efforts to target protesters have fueled anxiety among international students involved in campus activism.

"They’ve abducted someone on our campus, and that is a key source of our fear," one student says.

Leaders of Students for Justice in Palestine chapters say some students have asked to have their email addresses and names removed from membership lists to avoid scrutiny.