U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Tom Cotton, Colleagues Call on Biden Administration to Protect Jewish Students from Pro-Hamas, Antisemitic Mobs
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 24, 2024 — U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and 24 of their Senate Republican colleagues yesterday sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging them to restore order to campuses that have been effectively shut down by antisemitic mobs that are targeting Jewish students.
The Senators requested Attorney General Garland and Secretary Cardona provide an update on efforts to protect Jewish students by today, Wednesday, April 24. This letter comes as Columbia University announced yesterday they would shift to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester due to the extreme threats recent antisemitic protests pose to Jewish students.
“You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses. President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of anti-Semitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments,” wrote the Senators.
“Rioting violates federal law. Violence or attempted violence against anyone because of their Jewish heritage violates federal law. School administrators’ failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination or harassment violates federal law and is grounds for those schools losing access to federal funds. Espousing support for terrorists such as Hamas violates federal immigration law and is grounds for deportation,” they continued.
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.Dak.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.Dak.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebr.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.Dak.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) also cosigned the letter.
Senator Britt has been an outspoken and strong supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, traveling with a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues to meet with leaders across the region and emphasize the United States’ unequivocal support for Israel immediately following the October 7 atrocities.
In addition to supporting multiple bills and resolutions standing with Israel, Senator Britt has cosponsored several pieces of legislation to combat the rise in antisemitism in the United States, including Senator Scott’s Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act and Antisemitism Awareness Act, as well as Senator Rubio’s resolution calling on the Biden Administration to revoke student visas for non-citizens studying in the United States who support Hamas or other foreign terrorist organizations.
Full text of the letter may be found here and below.
Dear Attorney General Garland and Secretary Cardona,
We write regarding the outbreak of anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist mobs on college campuses. These pro-Hamas rioters have effectively shut down college campuses and have literally chased Jewish students away from our schools. 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.
Anti-Israel protestors, spurred on by prominent leftists, have gathered on college campuses in recent days, chanting anti-Semitic slogans and directly threatening Jewish students. The situation has so devolved that a prominent Jewish rabbi at Columbia University urged Jewish students to flee campus and stay away for their own safety. Columbia University has been one of the most public examples, but violence and threats against Jewish students have also been committed at other so-called “elite” universities in recent days. For example, at Yale University, a Jewish student journalist was reportedly attacked over the weekend by a pro-Hamas mob while attempting to film a protest.
You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses. President Biden issued a statement on Sunday, purporting to condemn the outbreak of anti-Semitism. If that statement was serious, it must be accompanied by immediate action from your departments.
Rioting violates federal law. Violence or attempted violence against anyone because of their Jewish heritage violates federal law. School administrators’ failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination or harassment violates federal law and is grounds for those schools losing access to federal funds. Espousing support for terrorists such as Hamas violates federal immigration law and is grounds for deportation. Please provide our offices with an update on your efforts to enforce these and related laws on college campuses as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 5:00PM on Wednesday, April 24.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
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