Pro-Palestine students have set up an encampment at Harvard University.
The move follows the Palestine Solidarity Committee being suspended from campus activities.
Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement that the university is “closely monitoring the situation and are prioritizing the safety and security of the campus community.”
Incredible video from @HarvardPSC
— National Students for Justice in Palestine (@NationalSJP) April 24, 2024
Just yesterday, Harvard University placed the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) under suspension. Less than 24 hours later, students launched a Gaza solidarity encampment.
THE MORE THEY TRY TO SILENCE US THE LOUDER WE WILL BE pic.twitter.com/SnWTuiAan7
The group was previously told to “cease all organizational activities for the remainder of the Spring 2024 term,” according to an email obtained by The Harvard Crimson.
“The organization will not be recognized and will not have access to university benefits and services during this time, including but not limited to use of campus space and appropriate use of the Harvard name,” the email informing students of their suspension read. “If the organization continues to operate and commits additional violations during this suspension, the organization risks permanent expulsion, as provided in the Resource Guide.”
Amid anti-Israel protests occurring on U.S. university campuses, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that suspended foreign students may be deported.
DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations told Fox News that international students are considered “in status” if they are making academic progress. Being “in status” may be jeopardized if the student is suspended.
“A temporary suspension, even if that were a final determination for a student, does not necessarily mean that the student would fall below ‘normal progress’ in his/her course of study,” the spokesperson said, adding, “If a student were to be suspended, DHS would need reason to believe that the student would not be able to make normal progress in his/her course of study. And if it believed a suspension merited that type of decision, it would have to initiate removal proceedings, which would be done on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).”
