Mar 19, 2024
Senator Calls For Deportation Of Non-Resident Protesters
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) called for the deportation of antisemitic student protesters if they hold student visas this week. The senator’s comments came as protests at a number of prominent universities nationwide spiral out of control.
Cotton said in a Fox News interview that students on foreign visas should be removed from the country and had “no right to be here.”
“And by the way, any of these students who are foreigners here on visas should have their visas provoked by the Biden administration and promptly deported,” he said. “They have no right to be here, and they certainly have no right to be here spewing antisemitic and anti-Israel filth.”
NYU students and faculty stage protest in Washington Square Park after NYPD conducted mass arrests and cleared their ‘Liberation Zone’ encampment last night.
Some of the signs in the crowd read:
‘Resist Colonial Power By Any Means Necessary.’
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 23, 2024
The senator compared what was happening on college campuses to antisemitic actions by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. “They should never be witnessed or tolerated here in America in 2024,” he said.
The comments came as Columbia University held its classes remotely on Monday due to possible disruptions caused by the protests.
Protests at New York University (NYU) have grown considerably, including one incident where the demonstrators threw bottles at police. At least one police officer was attacked by a man with a chair.
Cotton gained national attention for writing an op-ed in the New York Times calling for the National Guard to be utilized during violent riots in 2020.
Furthermore, the protests at the major colleges have gained steam in recent days. Last week a student movement attempted to occupy a building at Columbia University, leading to the police having to force them out. More than 100 student protesters were arrested, including the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
In addition, a photo taken during one of the protests showed a woman holding a sign calling for Hamas to attack a number of pro-Israel demonstrators.
Furthermore, the growing protests have received significant condemnation from much of the political spectrum. In addition to a number of prominent Republicans, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized the movement.
The White House released a statement condemning antisemitism on campus.
