The administration of President Donald Trump arrested a second student demonstrator and set a deadline for Colombia University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, to give up one of its academic departments.
in press release On Friday, the Ministry of Internal Security, Leqa Kordia, a Palestinian student in Colombia, was accused of bypassing a F-1 student visa.
The statement indicated that agents of the ICE and Customs application (ICE) detained them for deportation. Another foreign student, Rangani Srinifasan in India, canceled the student’s visa to participate “in activities that support Hamas”, which are spelling errors of the Palestinian Armed Group Hamas.
The Trump administration has created participation over and over the protests against the Israeli war in Gaza with the support of Hamas. She also accused the demonstrators of supporting the “terrorists”.
The arrest of Kordia coincides with the second time in less than a week, as a Palestinian student at the University of Colombia was transferred to the ice for deportation. On Saturday, the protest spokesman Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and placed in the detention of immigration, first in New Jersey and then in Louisiana.
Civil freedom advocates say that the arrests aim to strangle the rights of freedom of expression, and Khalil’s lawyer argued this week that he was unable to contact his client separately, in violation of his right to the legal advisor.
Khalil is a permanent resident in the United States, with a green card, and his American wife is eight -year -old. However, the Trump administration says it plans to strip him of its green card.
“It is an honor for me to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. Interior Secretary Christian Sleep said in the news statement:” When you defend violence and terrorism, the concession must be canceled, and it should not be in this country. “
However, the arrests and the cancellation of the student visa were not the only strong armed measures taken by the Trump administration against Colombia during the past 24 hours.
In a speech released late on Thursday night, the administration called for the status of the Middle Eastern Studies Administration in Colombia, South Asia and Africa (Mesaas) in the “academic guard” where the external authority is often controlled, and is often punishment for mismanagement.
The letter determined that the university must reach a plan to create the role of academic guard at a date not exceeding March 20.
The letter warned against commitment, that would negatively affect “the continuous financial relationship of Colombia with the United States government.”
The establishment of the judicial guard was just one in the list of demands, which included the abolition of the university’s judicial council to hear disciplinary issues, the prohibition of masks on the campus and the adoption of a A controversial definition It is anti -Semitism that some fear can limit the legitimate criticism of Israel.
Columbia University is a private school, one of the eight universities that make up the Ivy Labb in the northeastern region.
But Trump and other republicans have repeatedly attacked the university since it became the Center for Protests in favor of the Palestinians in 2023 and 2024, where students gathered against the destruction caused by the Israel war, which UN experts compared to genocide.
How did we get here?
The protests reached their climax last April, after a controversial hearing in Capitol Hill. The President of the University appeared at the time, Minouche Shafik, before a Congressional To counter the audit due to allegations that Colombia and other schools have failed to address anti -Semitism on the campus.
The next day, Shavek allowed New York City Police to enter a camp that the demonstrators created students in Colombia East Lee, which led to a mass arrest.
Tensions escalated from there. The demonstrators have argued that their rights to freedom of expression are reduced, and that officials were mixing criticism of the Israeli war with anti -Semitism. Some occupied a school building, Hamilton Hall, to show the challenge against attempts to dismantle the protest movement.
But what happened in Colombia began a series of similar measures throughout the country, as the police at universities were called to arrest peaceful demonstrators. It is estimated that more than 3000 protesters were arrested between April and July.
Trump made a campaign to re -election on the platform he would search for and deport foreign students who participated in the protests.
His allies recorded threats on the Republican Party last year, making it one of 20 pledges: “The deportation of the extremists supporting Hamas and made the campus safe and nationally again.”
Upon assuming his post for a second term on January 20, Trump immediately released Executive order The call to remove foreigners who bear “hostile positions” to us “citizens, culture, government, institutions, or principles” or who support “threats to our national security”.
The United States has always been an ally of Israel and supported its campaign in Gaza, which killed at least 48,524 Palestinians.
In the months that passed from his post, Trump wave The Ministry of Justice for “investigating and punishing the anti -Jewish racism in faculties and universities against America.”
On Social media This month, he warned that he would take heavy measures against any university campus hosting what he called “illegal protests”-despite his failure to determine what this category may involve.
“All federal funding will stop for any college, school or university that allows illegal protests,” Trump wrote. “The instigators will be imprisoned/or sent permanently to the country from which they came. American students will be expelled permanently or, depending on (such) crime, they have been arrested.”
Indeed, on March 7, the Trump administration announced Immediate cancellation From $ 400 million in scholarships and federal contracts of Colombia, while a warning shot was considered against all higher education institutions to comply with the president’s demands.
The Minister of Education, Linda McMahon, referred to increases in the anti -Semitic acts reported after the Hamas -led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023 as a reason for the cancellation.
“Since October 7, the Jewish students have faced uncomfortable violence, its intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their university campus-only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” McMahon said in accompanying press release.
“Universities must comply with all federal anti -discrimination laws if they will receive federal financing.”
According to the Ministry of Education, Colombia is currently receiving about $ 5 billion in grants and federal contracts. Earlier this week, the school moved to Expulsion Students participating in anti -war protests.
Trump’s efforts are facing a violent reaction
But some activists asked whether the Trump administration was truly excited to combat hate crimes-or whether anti-Semitism is used as a smoker sin to enhance other political goals.
On Thursday, activists who have a Jewish voice for peace and other groups in Trump Tower in New York City gathered to protest the arrest of Khalil, Wearing red shirts Perfume with the slogan “Not in our name”.
With reports of internal security officials looking for bedrooms at the University of Colombia, critics fear that civil rights will be violated for students.
“We believe that if you are here, you should not be arrested, traction, and deported to engage in protests that all of your colleagues in the class were within the limits of their rights to engage”, “Greg Lukianoff, CEO of the Individual and Expression Corporation (FIR), books On social media on Friday.
The Trump administration cited a few use of the Immigration and Nationality Law as a plane for deportation.
She says that the Foreign Minister has the right to exclude, “under certain circumstances”, foreign citizens who “entering the United States into the United States” will have serious and serious foreign policy consequences for the United States. “
But lawyers and preachers indicate that the Supreme Court has repeatedly supported the constitutional right to freedom of expression of migrants in the United States.
“What happened to Mahmoud is no less than unusual and shocking and highly shocking,” Khalil Ramzi Casim’s lawyer said in a recent statement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “Anyone who thinks that speech should be free to be free in the United States of America.”
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