The Biden Justice Department has zeroed in on Catholics, pro-life activists, and rowdy parents at school-board meetings, but Senate Republicans wish the feds would turn their attention to those supporting blood-soaked terrorists.
Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, led a letter from 27 Senate Republicans urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to restore order on college campuses where “antisemitic, pro-Hamas mobs have threatened Jewish students.”
“These pro-Hamas rioters have effectively shut down college campuses and have literally chased Jewish students away from our schools,” said the Tuesday letter.
They cited the Columbia University-affiliated rabbi who issued guidance last weekend urging Jewish students to “return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”
“The Department of Education and federal law enforcement must act immediately to restore order, prosecute the mobs who have perpetuated violence and threats against Jewish students, revoke the visas of all foreign nationals (such as exchange students) who have taken part in promoting terrorism, and hold accountable school administrators who have stood by instead of protecting their students,” said the senators.
Their letter gave the departments a deadline of 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday to respond, or about 24 hours.
Along with 26 other Republican senators, I am demanding answers from AG Garland and Secretary Cardona on how they plan to stop the rampant anti-Semitism happening across college campuses. https://t.co/Mzdj7xYA9Y
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) April 23, 2024
Concerns have surged in the last week over escalating campus protest activity, virulent pro-Hamas rhetoric, and alarm over what New York City Mayor Eric Adams called “outside agitators” infiltrating the student demonstrations.
The letter warned that the universities may have violated federal law by failing to protect Jewish students targeted for harassment or violence based on their religion or ethnicity.
In addition, “espousing support for terrorists such as Hamas violates federal immigration law and is grounds for deportation,” they said.
Mr. Biden has yet to mention Columbia, but he did say Monday in response to a reporter’s question that “I condemn the antisemitic protests,” and that “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going with the Palestinians.”
The letter said that if Mr. Biden’s “statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to visit Wednesday with Jewish students at Columbia, as well as deliver remarks and take questions “regarding the troubling rise of virulent antisemitism on America’s college campuses.”
Tensions on campus spiked after the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas, a federally designated foreign terrorist organization since 1997. The massacre prompted Israel to declare war on Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave wedged between Egypt and Israel.
• Kerry Picket contributed to this report.