Justice Department official Leo Terrell told Fox News host Harris Faulkner Monday the Trump administration would be reading “the riot act” to ten major universities over pro-Hamas protests.
Columbia University was hit with the cancellation of over $400 million in federal grants from four federal agencies after failing to respond to the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism about allegations of civil rights violations during a new round of protests. Terrell, who left Fox News to serve as the senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, vowed to “eradicate” antisemitism on campus during the interview with Faulkner.
“Let me be clear to all those individuals who are defending this individual: A student visa is a privilege not a right. I’m telling all of these individuals, it is a privilege and it can be revoked. Yes, you will get your day in court before an immigration judge, but it can be revoked,” Terrell said. “I want these individuals who are practicing anti-Semitic behavior, if you are an individual on a student visa, you are not an American citizen, you’re a foreign national. You can expect deportation proceedings or revocation of your right to attend a prestigious university in the great country of America.”
WATCH:
The State Department revoked the visa of a student for participation in pro-Hamas protests, but their name and nationality was not released. President Donald Trump announced United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement also took Mahmoud Khalil, who led pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University, into custody after his green card was revoked in a post on Truth Social.
Columbia began cracking down on the protests following the revocation of the grants, with the Associated Press reporting that dozens of students are being probed by the Ivy League school.
“I want everyone out there committing these horrific acts against the Jewish American community, I want you to be aware, this task force under the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Bondi and with the assistance of Secretary McMahon, we’re gonna use every tool to eradicate this,” Terrell said. “This is going to stop. We have a ten-campus tour, where we’re going to read these so-called trustees the riot act. And protect American students like you protect all Americans or else we will take every appropriate step to stop it for you.”
Since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas that killed over 1,200 people in Israel, demonstrations at multiple universities and colleges, includign Columbia, Harvard and Yale, have seen anti-Israel protesters occupy buildings, chant a slogan that has connotations of wiping out Israel and block Jewish students from parts of campus. Faulkner asked Terrell whether the Biden administration had “cost” Jewish Americans by failing to take “leadership action” against pro-Hamas protesters.
“For four years the Biden/Harris/Merrick Garland administration turned their backs on Jewish Americans,” Terrell responded. “I can assure you, I can assure that Jewish-Americans and all Americans, President Trump, Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon and the task force, we have your back and we are going to protect you.”
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