"Fascism Is at the Door": Trump Threatens to Deport Pro-Palestinian International Student Protesters

[Uncle Joe]

An executive order that purports to combat antisemitism on university campuses is likely to chill free speech and target students for pro-Palestine, antiwar and anti-racist views. The order, signed by President Trump, threatens to deport noncitizen college students and other international visitors who take part in protests considered antisemitic under a broad and contested definition of the term. Though the order gives them new teeth, these threats of deportation are not new, as our guest Momodou Taal, a doctoral student at Cornell University who was threatened with deportation last year, can attest. While public outcry forced Cornell to lift Taal's suspension and allow him a limited return to campus, he is still effectively banned from campus life and blocked from teaching positions. "There's somewhat of a great irony that students who were protesting apartheid are now subject to forms of exclusion bordering on apartheid," says Taal about his ongoing exclusion.

Rights groups and legal scholars say the new executive order violates constitutional free speech rights and would likely draw legal challenges if implemented. "This is basically a textbook authoritarian playbook meant to stifle any criticism of what's going on in Israel," explains our other guest, Etan Nechin, a New York correspondent for _Haaretz_. Students like Taal, however, say they will not allow the government and their administrations to prevent them from speaking out. Taal says his pro-Palestine activism comes out of his obligations as "a human being" and that "when fascism is at the door, what we do is come together and unite even stronger."

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.

[Aviation Pro]

1. Leopards are getting fat

Fuck you and your cause.

[sop]

2. Can't say we didn't warn them.

[J_William_Ryan]

3. "Fascism Is at the Door"

Fascism is already here and taken up residence at the WH.

[Irish_Dem]

4. They were critical in getting him elected, but he does not want them turning on him.

He must get rid of them.

[Uncle Joe]

5. He didn't win a single demographic under the age of 50,

it wasn't student protesters that put him back in office.

[Irish_Dem]

8. So you are saying the Palestinian protestors did not cost Biden one single vote?

SMH

[Uncle Joe]

9. No. I'm saying Biden's strongest demographics were under 50, and the younger

the stronger.

The older generations still get most of their information from the conglomerated corporate media.

The corporate media labeled the college protesters against apartheid, genocide and for Palestinian human rights as being "anti-Semitic" and there was not a strong defense for the protesters motives from the Biden/Harris administration.

So there was erosion but they still voted for Harris.

The younger generations weren't listened to, (that was evident at the convention) and Netanyahu; (long time family friend of Jared Kushner) wanted *rump back in power all along, and I saw that. The older generations in general are less progressive, and more likely to unconditionally support Israel right or wrong and Biden tried appealing more to that group.

*rump had no such restraint, he only listened to his base and the corporate media for all practical purposes supported him by condemning the younger generations for their moral outrage at what was going on in Gaza.

[Magoo48]

7. How were "they" critical in getting him elected?

[Basso8vb]

6. FAFO