A fight is brewing over whether the first big visa crackdown targeted criminals or people who criticized a foreign government — bad news for free-speech advocates and awkward for the administration.

• Visa applicants and green card holders are being pushed out over speech about Israel, not over crime or cartels.
• The State Department has framed criticism of a foreign government's policies as a hate crime.
• The earlier immigration flashpoints — cartels, the Springfield pet-eating claims — took a back seat to this.
• Critics on the right call it identity politics dressed up as border enforcement.

Outlook: Expect court challenges and a widening split among conservatives over policing speech about a foreign ally.