Trump to review visa status of protesters arrested in Columbia University library takeover

NEW YORK — Trump officials vowed to review the visa statuses of 80 pro-Palestinian protesters taken into custody during a takeover of a Columbia University library.

“We are reviewing the visa presumption of the trespassers and vandals who took implicit Columbia University’s library,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said connected X hours aft the little occupation. “Pro-Hamas thugs are nary longer invited successful our large nation.”

Assistant Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin added Thursday the menace could widen to imperishable residents.

“If you are successful this state connected a visa, greenish paper oregon otherwise, you are a guest,” she wrote connected X. “Act similar it. If you are pushing Hamas propaganda, glorifying terrorists that relish the sidesplitting of Americans, harassing Jews, taking implicit buildings, oregon different anti-American actions that we person seen lately connected these campuses, you tin publication yourself a summons home. You tin expect your visa volition beryllium revoked.”

Acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman authorized the NYPD to participate field a fewer hours aft the swarm of masked protesters showed up astatine Butler Library and forced their mode wrong Wednesday.

Cops were seen escorting retired dozens of protesters successful zip ties who schoolhouse officials said were trespassing.

Columbia is actively negotiating with the Trump medication to restore $400 cardinal successful national funding that was canceled implicit claims the schoolhouse did not bash capable to support Jewish students from harassment during the protests.

Whether the room protestation volition hamper those negotiations remains to beryllium seen. But connected Thursday, an interagency national assemblage progressive successful the talks, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, praised Shipman’s response.

“The Task Force is encouraged by Acting President Shipman’s beardown and resolute connection regarding the unlawful, convulsive and disgraceful takeover of Butler Library yesterday. She has stepped successful to pb Columbia astatine a captious juncture and has met the infinitesimal with fortitude and conviction,” work a statement, which called connected Columbia to instrumentality disciplinary action.

Of the 80 protesters arrested, 2 were fixed summonses for disorderly behaviour portion the remainder were fixed table quality tickets to look successful tribunal astatine a aboriginal day connected trespass charges, NYPD officials said.

Shipman attributed the determination to let NYPD officers connected field to the ample fig of protesters creating a information hazard. Two Columbia information officers were injured arsenic protesters forced their mode wrong the building, with 1 wheeled retired connected a gurney.

The assemblage president accused the protesters of putting planetary students successful danger: “I americium profoundly disturbed astatine the thought that, astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile our planetary assemblage feels peculiarly vulnerable, a tiny radical of students would choose to marque our instauration a target,” Shipman said successful a video released overnight.

“Let maine beryllium clear: Columbia unequivocally rejects antisemitism and each different forms of harassment and discrimination. And we surely cull a radical of students — and we don’t yet cognize whether determination were outsiders progressive — closing down a room successful the mediate of the week earlier finals and forcing 900 students retired of their survey spaces, galore leaving belongings behind.”

Footage connected societal media showed the activists, who wore masks, pushing done information astatine the entranceway of Butler soon aft 3 p.m., steps distant from wherever students pitched a structure objection past year. Meanwhile, ample demonstrations broke retired connected field and on its perimeter Thursday.

Protesters called to escaped Mahmoud Khalil, a caller Columbia postgraduate and greenish paper holder who has been detained by national migration authorities. DHS detained different lawful imperishable resident, Mohsen Mahdawi, earlier a national justice ordered his release. Other Columbia students targeted by the Trump medication person gone into hiding oregon decided to permission the country.

Columbia has 1 of the largest planetary pupil bodies successful the country, with 13,745 radical coming from astir the globe to survey successful New York. It was not instantly wide however galore of the protesters connected Wednesday were planetary students.

Butler Library reopened by Thursday greeting with the country of the protestation “restored and acceptable for use,” schoolhouse officials said. Columbia finals statesman Friday.

The main protestation radical connected campus, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, connected Wednesday reveled successful their quality to propulsion disconnected the disruption contempt a crackdown connected pupil activists. Last month, an effort to repitch a structure encampment was averted aft NBC News publicized their plans.

“Students outsmarted the university, exposing the cracks successful their breached system,” the radical said successful a statement.

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