NEW YORK — The Division of Homeland Safety raided the dorm rooms of two Columbia College college students on Thursday night time, simply days after authorities detained a outstanding pro-Palestinian activist in college housing.
In an e-mail, Interim President Katrina Armstrong wrote that she was “heartbroken” to tell college students and college of the federal brokers’ go to. The scholars weren’t arrested or detained, she stated. As of Friday morning, no additional motion had been taken.
“The College has a transparent protocol in place,” Armstrong wrote, linking to steerage on “Potential Visits to Campus By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Brokers.”
“According to this protocol, our longstanding follow, and the practices of cities and establishments all through the nation, the College requires that regulation enforcement have a judicial warrant to enter private College areas, together with residential College buildings. Tonight, that threshold was met.”
The announcement of DHS on campus got here after ICE on March 8 arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a inexperienced card-holder, in his university-owned residence. The Trump administration has accused Khalil of main actions aligned with Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. He has not been charged with any crime.
Armstrong’s emphasis on Columbia’s “longstanding follow” adopted revelations of a letter from the Trump administration outlining steps the college ought to take to revive $400 million in canceled federal grants and contracts. Amongst different measures, the three companies directed Columbia to self-discipline protesters concerned in final yr’s demonstrations.
“The College should full disciplinary proceedings for Hamilton Corridor and encampments,” learn the memo. “Significant self-discipline means expulsion or multi-year suspension.”
The identical day, Columbia introduced the expulsions of a number of protesters concerned within the constructing takeover.
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