The detentions of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student, and Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts graduate student from Turkey, set the stage for the U.S. government’s ongoing attacks against immigrant and international students. The students’ outspoken criticism of the U.S.-Israeli genocide against Palestinians is the underlying cause of their being criminalized and imprisoned by the federal government. Despite widespread dissent against their detentions, the federal government continues to expand its criminalization of students, some of whom were not even involved with any activism in solidarity with Palestinians.
In Maryland, the U.S. government has revoked the visas of students at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the University of Maryland (UMD). Representatives of JHU and UMD’s Baltimore County campus shared that no explanation was given for the cancellation of the students’ visas. These attacks against students came shortly after JHU sent an announcement instructing its employees and students to fully comply with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and/or other federal agents if they come to investigate and make arrests on campus. They were also told not to “attempt to notify any person who may be subject to federal immigration enforcement.” The collaboration of universities and the government in weaponizing ICE against students is not only an extension of efforts to silence political expression, but an attempt to further narrow access to higher education.
We cannot accept these attacks against immigrant and international students. If we do not organize an active resistance to the government’s reign of terror over universities, more students and staff will be victimized. Plus hard-fought past victories for freedom of expression and equitable, anti-racist education will be overturned. Our resistance can start small – like sharing “know your rights” information. But we must grow our networks so we will be able to respond to actions by ICE, police, courts, and universities. We can’t accept their attempts to bend and shape the law to suit the Trump administration and the interests of its billionaire investors, whom he defends.
