Trump admin cracks down on pro-Palestinian protests at colleges
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department is "reviewing the visa status" of pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied Columbia University's main library in Manhattan on Wednesday evening.
Why it matters: Rubio's announcement builds on President Trump's January order, titled "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism," to remove international students who've joined protests and direction for institutions to "monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff."
The secretary of state's action comes as the Trump administration's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism reviews the University of Washington over a pro-Palestinian protest that saw some 30 students arrested on Monday after they occupied a Seattle campus building,
Trump vowed in March to stop the federal funding of any schools or university that allows "illegal protests" and the White House said the president had promised to "Deport Hamas Sympathizers and Revoke Student Visas."
The administration's action this week underscores that to enforce Trump's order, it will go after student protests at individual colleges.
What they're saying: "We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University's library," Rubio said on X.
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