Senator Tom Cotton argued the Biden administration should revoke the visas of foreign students involved in illegal protests against Israel on US college campuses.
Cotton said around 100 people were arrested the previous night at NYU, and more arrests may be needed.
Cotton said, “I gather there were about 100 people arrested last night at NYU. It seems like there may need to be even more arrests today. These university presidents need to ask the mayor and the chief of police in New York to send in New York City’s finest to arrest anyone who’s breaking the law, who’s squatting on private property when they’ve been told to disperse, who’s harassing or intimidating Jewish students in a nascent pogrom, and demand that students actually do what they’re supposed to do on campus, which is go to school.”
He called on university presidents to request police crack down and arrest lawbreakers squatting or harassing Jewish students.
Cotton added any foreign students on visas should have them immediately revoked and be deported, as they have no right to spread anti-Semitic rhetoric.
“And by the way, any of these students who are foreigners here on visas should immediately have their visas revoked by the Biden Administration, be promptly deported. They have no right to be here. They certainly have no right to be here spewing anti-Semitic and anti-Israel filth,” he said.
While cooperation from university police is preferable, Cotton stated the NYPD has an obligation to enforce law and protect Jewish civilians on campuses, regardless of university approval.
Cotton said, “It’s not the university’s prerogative whether or not the NYPD come onto their campus. It would certainly be welcome at the university presidents and their police forces would cooperate, but New York City has an obligation to enforce the law and to protect innocent civilians like those Jewish students.”
He pushed for stronger law enforcement action against illegal demonstrations as well as deporting foreign student participants.
