DHS agents serve warrants at Columbia University after protests over Mahmoud Khalil's arrest
Columbia University confirms Homeland Security agents entered two university residences Thursday night with warrants, but no one was arrested or taken into custody. Earlier in the day, dozens of protesters entered Trump Tower in New York City to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate and pro-Palestinian activist who has been detained by ICE. CBS News correspondent Michael George has more.
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26 minutes ago
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17 illegal migrants discovered crammed in RV, sedan in sweltering Arizona heat
A man has been arrested and charged with human smuggling after 17 illegal migrants were found crammed inside an RV and a nearby sedan in the sweltering Arizona heat Wednesday. The majority of the illegal migrants, who are all from Mexico, were found packed inside the cramped RV which was parked on a property in Nogales as temperatures inside soared under the summer sun, according to Sean L. McGoffin, chief patrol agent of Border Patrol's Tucson Sector. Those inside the RV, including a minor, had limited space and ventilation with no access to running water, McGoffin said. The rest of the migrants were wedged into a small sedan that was discovered during a vehicle stop. "This rescue likely prevented a tragedy," McGoffin said. "With summer temperatures already climbing, packing people into trailers and vehicles without proper ventilation or water is a recipe for disaster. Human lives should never be treated as cargo." All the migrants are now safe, in custody and will be processed accordingly, McCoffin said. The rescued individuals are being processed for expedited removal in accordance with U.S. immigration law. The man who was arrested is a U.S. citizen and initially attempted to flee the scene on foot but was apprehended by agents shortly after. Investigators are working to determine whether others were involved. The operation was carried out by Nogales Border Patrol, Nogales Police and Homeland Security Investigations. "No recreation happening in this vehicle, instead it was used by smugglers forcing people to hide out in inhumane conditions in sweltering heat," McGoffin said. "Although no one was injured, the situation shows the danger illegal aliens face in the hands of smugglers."
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
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Why Trump's threat to pull Columbia's accreditation is so ominous
I suspect that even casual followers of the news have heard about the ongoing battles between the government and higher education. First there's House Republicans' plan to increase taxes on university endowments, and now President Donald Trump's administration is threatening Columbia University's accreditation. As a college president, I know what these threats mean, but I've found myself having to explain them to folks who aren't higher ed nerds like me. Accreditation, I tell them, is what people Gen X or older might think of like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, but for colleges and universities, accreditation is not just something that's nice for a university to have; it's something a university needs to have if it expects to offer any kind of financial aid to its students. The vast majority of college students receive some form of financial aid, so even the wealthiest of institutions understand that accreditation is important. That's why it's so ominous that the Trump administration, which claims that Columbia insufficiently handled expressions of antisemitism on its campus, contacted the university's accreditor alleging that the university is no longer eligible to be accredited. According to a statement from the Department of Education, Columbia 'failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia's campus and consequently denied these students' equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law.' Columbia issued a statement that said it is 'deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus,' that it's 'aware of the concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights today,' and that it has 'addressed those concerns directly' with its accreditor. Prior to the first Trump administration, there were seven regional accreditors that were responsible for assuring that most colleges and universities operate at standards that signify what they do is done well and in order. Each accrediting agency developed a set of standards requiring that an institution, generally in five- to 10-year intervals, conduct a self-study to ensure that it continues to meet them. The institution must then submit a report to its accrediting agency. Then, a team of colleagues reviews the materials, and depending on the agency and its timelines, that team or another visits the campus to certify that what was submitted is accurate and that the institution is in good standing and keeps its 'seal of approval.' During the first Trump administration, the practice of regional accreditors as the primary determinants of accreditation was changed. 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There are generally levels of sanctions that an institution might receive, from a monitoring report to show progress made on deficiencies, to a public warning, which allows anyone to know what the institution must do to improve, and finally some kind of probationary period in which significant deficiencies must be corrected. While rare, accrediting agencies can cease to recognize an institution for failure to meet the standards set. It would take several years, though, for a school to get to the place where it loses accreditation — and even if accreditation is lost, most agencies have processes in place that allow schools to appeal that decision. There are multiple examples of schools successfully appealing a loss of accreditation and working their way back into good standing. When the Trump administration contacted the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which accredits Columbia, it simply began a process to review the charges. Different commissions might handle these notices in different ways. Under the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the accrediting agency I'm most familiar with, 'unsolicited information,' such as a letter from the federal government or a local news article covering a negative event, could begin such a review. But accreditation is a process, so even a letter from the administration would not create an immediate negative action as accreditors engage in a thoughtful and deliberate process to verify compliance with the standards. Again, the goal is continuous improvement, not punishment. If a school is out of compliance, the accreditor will take action. But this would occur only after working closely with the institution, giving it a chance to correct course on its own. Columbia, in the short term at least, doesn't appear to be at any risk of not being able to provide its students financial aid. This article was originally published on


New York Post
35 minutes ago
- New York Post
New Yorkers searched web for ‘Free Palestine' info more than any other state, study finds
New Yorkers scoured the web for information on Palestine-related phrases more than any other state in the US, a new study found. Since the start of the year, the Empire State averaged 8,260 searches per month for phrases including: 'Palestine protests,' 'Free Palestine movement' and 'free Palestine flag' — more than any other place in the country per capita. For every 100,000 people in the state, there were more than 41 searches for the 'free Palestine'-related phrases, the analysis of Google Trends data conducted by Ladah Law found. Advertisement Protesters descended on Times Square in April to call for the release of Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil. James Keivom The most popular phrase in New York, with 3,600 searches, was 'Free Palestine,' followed by 'Palestine protest,' with 1,600 searches. NYC's Columbia University was the epicenter of violent anti-Israel protests last year, with similar ones taking place throughout California and across the country. Advertisement Other Google entries part of the study included, 'free Palestine stickers,' 'free Palestine posters' and 'is Palestine free?' Vermont took second place with nearly 34 searches per 100,000 residents and California followed with just under 32, according to the Las Vegas-based firm. New Yorkers searched online information on Palestine more than any other state. Thaspol – For every 100,000 of California's nearly 40 million residents, there were approximately 12,570 searches for info on the movement, which spread across the nation following Hamas terrorists' deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and subsequent anti-Israel protests. Advertisement Behind the Green Mountain and Golden states were Massachusetts, Oregon and Connecticut. Arkansas saw the fewest searches related to the conflict, according to the findings.