More lawsuits for Harvard.
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UT cancelled all publicly funded affiliate graduations ( Hispanic students, etc). Done to comply with state law, this also avoids awkward questions about whether there should be parallel ceremonies for Jewish students ( thus also Muslim, Catholic, etc), Palestinian students, etc etc
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"Since October, American cities and college campuses have been transformed into stages for this kind of Middle Eastern performance theater in support of Hamas and its murder, torture, and rape of Jews. Performances have ranged from vicarious partaking in the Oct. 7 pogrom, like the tearing down of posters of kidnapped Israelis, to calls for “globalizing” Palestinian terrorism “from New York to Gaza,” to outright expressions of support for Hamas and the extermination of Jews “from the river to the sea”—“by any means necessary,” lest there be any confusion. “There is nothing, nothing more honorable than dying for a noble cause, for justice,” a high-profile organizer of a rally at Columbia shouted into a bullhorn in a thick Arabic accent.
There’s also no confusion about the fact that these rallies feature Arab and Muslim students who eagerly support terrorism—often by denying that Hamas or its actions of Oct. 7 constitute “terrorism” at all. Equally evident is that many of the students leading, organizing, and participating in these protests and expressions of antisemitism and support for Hamas on college campuses are not Americans—meaning that they are not American citizens or even green card holders. Rather, they are foreign passport holders, including from Arab and Muslim countries, who have decided to avail themselves of U.S. educational infrastructure while importing the passions and prejudices of their home countries to American campuses.
…
There are laws on the books that apply to foreign students and other nonresident aliens in the United States who support terrorist organizations like Hamas. Since October, leading Republican lawmakers have reminded everyone of the existence of these laws. Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., led 17 other Republican House representatives in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken “to request information regarding the potentially unlawful presence on U.S. soil of non-immigrant foreign nationals who have endorsed terrorist activity.” The letter explained the relevant law:
Student visa applicants, like all non-immigrant visa applicants, must qualify under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to be approved for a visa. They are subject to a wide range of ineligibilities in Section 212(a) of the INA.
Section 212(a)(3)(B)(i)(VII) of the INA states that, “any alien - who endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization … is inadmissible.”
If a visa “was issued before DHS uncovers evidence of a visa-holder’s ineligibility under INA s.212(a)(3)B),” the legislators added, “the individual in question should immediately have their visa revoked and face expedited deportation proceedings.”
You could argue there are ideological reasons for the schools not to take action against foreign students. “Palestine,” after all, has found its place at the heart of progressive “intersectionality.” But there’s also a strong material incentive for the universities’ failure to obey the law.
…
The schools, in other words, know the law. They know that what their international students did violates the terms of their legal status in the U.S. and is therefore subject to legal sanction. Nevertheless, they took steps toward being actively complicit in their students’ illegal conduct.
But what the schools also know is that they have political cover from the Biden administration to violate the country’s visa and terrorism laws. On Nov. 1, three weeks after the Oct. 7 pogrom and the eruption of antisemitic, pro-Hamas street action in U.S. cities, the White House unveiled “the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States.” The initiative, with its inversion of reality, gave a green light to pro-Hamas protesters while telegraphing to the university administrators that the former were members of a protected class—rather than a danger to public safety.
…
The real victims, you see, are the brave students chanting genocidal slogans in public; the villains are the people who attempt to “dox” them by posting footage of their noxious statements and behavior online.
Instead of this kind of dangerous moral inversion, universities and the state and federal authorities that govern their behavior would be better served by obeying the law. Deporting foreign students who support and aid terror groups that kill Americans and hold them hostage seems like a first step toward sanity at American universities whose desire to have their sectarian DEI cake and get even fatter by eating it has led them into a moral abyss."
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Immigration issues at universities are not a priority.
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Another quote from the article above:
"Indeed, the universities have acknowledged the obvious fact that many of the campus protest leaders are foreign students, here on limited educational visas, in the manner with which they have chosen to handle the Gaza protests. Early on, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) cautioned students who occupied lecture halls, prevented other students from going to class, and otherwise violated school policies and guidelines, that they could face suspension for their behavior. But it quickly became clear there would be no serious consequences for noncompliance. When the students pressed on, MIT only suspended a handful of them “from non-academic campus activities.” The explanation MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave for her decision was unambiguous: “serious concerns about collateral consequences for the students, such as visa issues.”
Plainly put, what Kornbluth said is that foreign students have been violating school policy, but academic suspension or expulsion would terminate their ability to remain in the country. MIT therefore refrained from disciplining these students in order to keep them enrolled."
MIT students are about to flock to campus as January Independent Activities Period concludes.
While I no longer have a student there, I have a pre-frosh flying in for the Campus Preview Weekend in April, and I sincerely hope the administration is no longer in the mood for pussyfooting around campus troublemakers.
This election year the consequences of their missteps may go well beyond a few hundred million dollars in lost donations.
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Safe to assume no one at INS is spending one moment worried about the MIT campus. Any action would have to come from the college.
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I agree. The action has to come.
An update from MIT administration as the Spring semester is about to start:
"Specific guidelines for vigils, protests, and demonstrations. At MIT, we staunchly support community members’ right to express themselves and to engage in campus activism. Yet we all have a vested interest in maintaining an environment where everyone feels free to live and work.
MIT therefore has additional special event guidelines that apply to vigils, protests, and demonstrations of any size. In response to questions from the community, they were recently clarified; if you plan such events on campus, you should read these detailed rules now.
Anyone planning a vigil, protest, or demonstration must register their event, reserve space, meet with MIT officials at least three business days in advance, and honor the Institute’s reasonable boundaries on the “time, place, and manner” of free expression.
The guidelines specify a limited number of preferred places where vigils, protests, and demonstrations may be approved. Other common spaces on campus may sometimes be approved for such events, on a case-by-case basis, and with all the usual requirements described above.
Demonstrations should generally occur outdoors. They are not permitted near MIT childcare facilities, such as in the Stata Center, adjacent to the east side of Hockfield Court. Also prohibited is demonstrating in faculty or administrative offices, classrooms, libraries, study rooms, or similar locations, such as student residences, where such actions would interrupt Institute activities. Because classroom disruptions are out of bounds, faculty and instructors have been provided with their own guidance on disruptions of academic activity, which includes steps they can take to respond effectively if such disruptions occur. Note that disorderly conduct on campus is prohibited."
https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rules-know-and-follow
I expect a quick reconsideration of admission of any MIT students unable to read.
The letter above continues:
“It’s important to be aware that the administration may take any action it deems necessary or appropriate, including interim measures, to protect the health, safety, well-being, and educational or workplace experience of the MIT community.”
And what are these interim measures? (highlighting is mine)
“At times, it is necessary for the Institute to take immediate action in order to protect the health, safety, wellbeing, or educational or working experience of students, employees, or the broader MIT community; to maintain academic integrity; to uphold Institute values; to end ongoing or prevent further misconduct; to separate individuals involved in a case; or for other similar reasons. To that end, the Institute reserves the right to take any interim or permanent administrative action that it deems necessary and appropriate under the particular circumstances. Possible measures include, without limitation, interim suspension of a student from the Institute, interim suspension of a student organization, temporary or permanent removal of a student from MIT housing or relocation to another room or residence hall, restrictions on student organization or residence hall activities, no-contact orders, restricting a student’s access to certain campus locations, or changes to academic or work schedules.”
And so it seems MIT procedures allowed it to follow through with immediately suspending the students that caused the high-profile disruptions in the Fall, and that they indeed wavered in the face of possible visa issues for the foreign agitators.
Well, they are no longer in a position to waver.
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Activity at Stanford.
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"A congressional committee probing campus antisemitism is expanding its investigation to include Columbia University and demanding the Ivy League school turn over a trove of documents to lawmakers.
In a 16-page letter delivered to Columbia leaders Monday afternoon, Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Republican chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, informed the university her panel is investigating Columbia’s “failure to protect Jewish students.”
…
The wide-ranging request for documents includes reports on antisemitic incidents since early 2021; the findings of disciplinary action against faculty and students; documents on action taken against student groups related to conduct involving Jews; records of requests to protest at the university; all communications since early 2021 referring to antisemitism involving university officials; and information on foreign donations, including funding from Qatari sources.
Foxx cited a “pattern of deeply troubling” incidents at Columbia in recent months, including “assaults, harassment and vandalism.”"
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/business/columbia-antisemitism-investigation-house
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"MIT President Sally Kornbluth
February 13, 2024
Good afternoon, everyone.
Before the start of this semester, in a letter to the whole community and one directly to students, we were very clear about the rules of the road regarding campus demonstrations. These rules exist to ensure that we can make ample room for free expression – while also allowing everyone to pursue their work and lives here, safely and unimpeded.
Last night, members of the CAA – the Coalition Against Apartheid – once again conducted a demonstration on campus without going through the normal permission processes that apply to every student group at MIT.
Therefore, the CAA’s executive officers received a letter today from Vice Chancellor Suzy Nelson immediately suspending the CAA’s privileges as a recognized student organization."
https://president.mit.edu/writing-speeches/actions-related-student-organization
More details surrounding the action:
If I had to guess, the agitators will now continue their disruptive behavior outside of the recognized student group.
At that point, nothing short of suspending each individual violator will suffice.
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I’ll believe it when I see it.
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It’s either them or Sally.
Simple as that.
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Stanford groups warned last Thursday that overnight camping not allowed, so disperse or face disciplinary action. Two of three groups complied. On Monday, Stanford threatened to start naming names of the 3rd org to disciplinary board. But still, no enforcement.
"Members of the now-disassembled Blue and White Tent [pro-Israel] also expressed frustration with the University’s lack of policy enforcement.
“We have been compliant with every order that [the University has] given us because we thought that it was going to be fairly enforced across the board,” said Kevin Feigelis, a seventh-year Ph.D. student in physics and organizer with the Blue and White Tent."
“Instead, we have found that the University never intended to enforce their policies, given those back-channel messages with the sit-in.”
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