The Department of Justice has requested that Cornell University student Momodou Taal surrender to immigration authorities, with the goal of initiating the deportation process. Taal, who is a U.S. visa holder and citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia, received the notice to appear via email. This action comes after Taal led campus protests last year and is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to target individuals involved in protests against executive orders regarding anti-semitism and national security threats.
Taal’s case is part of a broader crackdown on individuals associated with protests at universities, with others like Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil being detained and facing deportation. The Trump administration has cited national security concerns as justification for these actions, using an obscure provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
The administration has also targeted universities themselves, with Columbia losing federal funding and the University of Pennsylvania facing a funding pause due to allowing a transgender swimmer to compete on the women’s team. Columbia has agreed to certain demands outlined by the Trump administration in exchange for the potential restoration of federal funding.
These actions have sparked concerns about free speech rights and government interference at universities, prompting protests and fears among students and professors nationwide. The situation highlights the tension between academic institutions and the federal government under the Trump administration.
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