[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6084505,"mediaKeyId","2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478","parentId",2914114,"title","Senators clash over ICE arrests and removal proceedings tied to campus protests","audioSeconds",170,"startMs",7205000,"endMs",7375000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478&start=7205&end=7375","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478/thumbnail_7205000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084505/Senators-clash-over-ICE-arrests-and-removal-proceedings-tied-to-campus-protests","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084505-4c936cb53957987306154551776cb5b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104063&Signature=ZGebHIUg-ogJHz~ET~Q9KZfT8HyyO50smowRvbCYtwvqlaTO21HCBLtUCZLPgV~gcn3KqPo~6ZYJUKVCiRENUIDAexqQC6xgUrbkf-m~684SigYj9nqvqhhSErrRISGHzqPkDoutb6c~ndhW7lI5vjz~SEdv7YQodBQswH5ozL~ZA9nLwsuRi~TvYleVzb8DmEeLETepx-gFjfhRq5kwCpDeXHUHZwlrfFPUDg5BQx44vv7weBzQ6Gk7MNKkOtTWhv3R3US9m2ujc1jlX02YtXmz3IpYXGjd5qWOy5rYrN9A1Q8b7NC2gaHMtQPcH2x2XWSkv8fLOhIS1GGrp9o9pA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","Senators at the HELP Committee hearing exchanged sharp questioning over recent immigration-enforcement actions tied to campus protests, including removal proceedings and arrests by federal agencies.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., criticized what he described as heavy-handed enforcement actions, saying masked ICE officers \"grabbed Rumaisa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University off the street as she was on her way to break fast for Ramadan\" and noting that Ozturk had not been charged with a crime at the time of his remarks. Markey argued that arrests without charges risked chilling constitutionally protected expression and that federal action should be evidence-based.

By contrast, several Republican senators defended enforcement steps against individuals accused of endorsing or materially supporting extremist organizations. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pressed Kenneth Stern on whether removal proceedings for Mahmoud Khalil—a noncitizen the government has accused of endorsing Hamas-related activity and of lying on immigration forms—constituted appropriate use of immigration law. Hawley asserted that U.S. immigration law makes a noncitizen inadmissible or removable if they \"endorse or espouse terrorist activity.\" He added that removal or visa revocation would be lawful where material support or false statements on visa forms are proven.

Kenneth Stern objected to removing individuals on the basis of speech alone, calling some enforcement approaches \"McCarthyist\" if they proceed without charges or adequate process. He warned that punitive deportations or the use of criminal or immigration law as a first response risked undermining academic freedom and could backfire by making campuses less safe.

The committee heard competing descriptions: some senators portrayed removal proceedings and scholarship of enforcement as necessary to protect students, while others—echoing concerns about due process—warned that arresting or deporting individuals for speech-related activities without robust evidentiary bases would set a dangerous precedent. No committee action or vote on immigration policy resulted from the session; senators requested additional records and submitted questions for the record.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Antisemitic Disruptions on Campus: Ensuring Safe Learning Environments for All Students","oneSentenceSummary","Senators debated recent federal immigration enforcement actions tied to campus protests and the removal proceedings targeting an individual accused of supporting Hamas; witnesses warned against punitive policy that could chill speech while senators pressed for enforcement against alleged wrongdoing.","taxTitle","Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Senate Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1995,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6084507,"Researcher tells Senate panel foreign donations correlate with campus antisemitic incidents; senators debate causation",435,2377000,2812000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478&start=2377&end=2812","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478/thumbnail_2377000.jpg","/articles/6084507/Researcher-tells-Senate-panel-foreign-donations-correlate-with-campus-antisemitic-incidents-senators-debate-causation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084507-ad22121cd80735e15fa24f5f916bb573/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104063&Signature=PCo9h~FdvkY9m66yphNgclGi5AykEaxZuQY4hqh2xMni~V9sJD2HhdV2qfH0gi2ub-1romD9gN4d4hS0JlHUt0CylETtVe1JZPp-EJ7j2fOo18ISw~pgBPjTCkUWidxtTJFVHu2Ukk1aWy5BmzCjO04udBUcJFqU5WY60Ot1tsb2KViu-7HwY7flVx2jPlUd-jzvELpBKWXK1ToV4Kj9MSc~ENue8b~e41uEteIZyT6R16U5tU6hO7HOu41vbnUXi6j6iRBVTWVl8ri6Sy54Rw4wMf9sZchuUvr-eRV3Vojt86FC75zeSA2aoSpz2gbMoaeMVAD9sVUjfH2Bhh8u6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Charles Asher Small, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that his organization's research has identified significant foreign donations to U.S. universities and asserted a relationship between some donations and a rise in antisemitic incidents.

\"Our research has documented disturbing patterns of foreign influence through the financial contributions that coincide with increased antisemitic activity,\" Small testified, summarizing ISGAP's \"Follow the Money\" project. He said the project found, in aggregated reporting, billions of dollars in funding from Middle Eastern sources that were not disclosed to the Department of Education and alleged universities had used third-party foundations to shield donor identities.

Small cited specific figures in testimony, including a claim that $3,000,000,000 of undisclosed money from Middle Eastern sources had been identified in prior reports and that between 2015 and 2020 his team observed a 300% increase in reported antisemitic incidents at some institutions they examined. He also referenced university-specific allegations presented in ISGAP reports, including large sums tied to Texas A&M and Cornell.

Several senators pressed Small on statistical and causal interpretations. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., cautioned, \"Association is not causation,\" noting that some heavily funded university programs tied to Qatar — for example, Carnegie Mellon and Virginia Commonwealth University presence in Qatar — did not experience the disturbances described elsewhere. Marshall and others warned investigators to distinguish correlation from direct causation and to consider other contributing factors.

Small said his team recommends thorough federal investigations into foreign funding flows, better compliance with Section 117 of the Higher Education Act (which governs disclosure of foreign gifts and contracts), and greater transparency by universities. He argued that undisclosed conditions attached to donations and use of intermediaries can distort campus curricula and research agendas.

The committee's discussion reflected a political divide over how to respond to such allegations: some senators called for immediate investigations into foreign funding patterns, while others warned against singling out particular countries without clear evidence of intent to influence campus discourse.

No formal committee investigatory action or formal findings were recorded during the hearing; senators and witnesses asked for documents and follow-up.

","Dr. Charles Asher Small testified before the Senate HELP Committee that ISGAP research links undisclosed foreign funding—especially from Qatar—to heightened antisemitic activity at some U.S. universities; other senators cautioned against conflating association with causation and noted many major foreign donors did not see similar disturbances.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6084511,"Senate HELP hearing spotlights campus antisemitism, calls for stronger Title VI enforcement and new laws",7509,940000,8449000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478&start=940&end=8449","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2914114-ac0bd10b2f731b240001ef91ece71478/thumbnail_940000.jpg","/articles/6084511/Senate-HELP-hearing-spotlights-campus-antisemitism-calls-for-stronger-Title-VI-enforcement-and-new-laws","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084511-30f496b7197ceddc2f18a0491016c0e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771104063&Signature=ef7-7ugm4u~YKwymqIBOaiSoy9ca7gJCF1OV26p9d4kTF7F-36h9tZG448uSNSuUgWTmjXHVoU3AZ6DjF0siFiGhF9b4PsnOB65KYTvj9t8amkbeQlpW7NoTUmxxXnV132iwn1SKPgUGGj1svvTP1PI~x0dbDiaq5~t7PIyiscZt6ErLVIveCxy9rImVIxFEKat1Dh3fUd~KB722oV-qcKU4aRuX15PFHwKHR-cheX5B86jvGjzs9OHlsXFeE4tFdwTJrtspbDDtqr10QjEOGsmnr6hldr59EyMRH0rplxkpHTALeVUuOQ4Dd6PV-t-UO3~-dJrmsp~hPftmEDD5Fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Thursday heard testimony that Jewish students are facing rising harassment on college campuses and that federal enforcement and new laws are needed to protect them.

Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., opened the hearing by describing the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the resulting uptick in campus incidents, saying, \"On October 2023, the world watched in horror as Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, slaughtered 1,200 innocent men, women, and children.\" He said the committee would focus on enforcement of federal civil-rights law for students.

The hearing featured five witnesses who described patterns of intimidation, harassment and exclusion that they say have left many Jewish students afraid to attend classes or participate in campus life. Carla Grama, director of legal policy for Stand With Us, told the committee, \"Jewish students continue to find virtually every aspect of US campus life increasingly hostile.\" Grama urged Congress to pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act, require campus coordinators trained to address Title VI claims, and to condition federal funding on clear campus policies about times, places and manners of expressive activity.

Rabbi Levi Shemtov of American Friends of Lubavitch Chabad and Rabbi David Saperstein, director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, also testified that administrators have at times failed to enforce policies that protect students. Kenneth Stern, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate and the lead drafter of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, warned that overbroad enforcement measures could chill legitimate speech and urged careful use of any definition in disciplinary or legal contexts, saying, \"We cannot burn down the house in order to save it.\" Dr. Charles Asher Small, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), emphasized research linking foreign funding to campus dynamics and urged investigations (see separate article).

Much of the committee's discussion centered on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin at institutions that receive federal funds. Witnesses and several senators pressed the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) staffing and enforcement record. Multiple senators, including Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maggie Hassan, said cuts to OCR's regional offices and staff would impair investigators' ability to resolve complaints and keep students safe. Rabbi Saperstein and others described OCR as a front-line enforcement tool that should be adequately resourced.

On legislation, several witnesses urged Congress to adopt the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would direct OCR to consider the IHRA working definition of antisemitism when investigating alleged discrimination against Jewish students under Title VI. Witnesses also backed the Protecting Students on Campus Act, a proposal to improve students' awareness of civil-rights complaint procedures and campus enforcement. Witnesses proposed that campuses employ qualified Title VI coordinators and maintain clear, enforced policies on permitted protest activity.

Senators from both parties emphasized that condemning antisemitism should not mean silencing protected speech. Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders said that \"antisemitism on college campuses or any place else must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,\" while also urging attention to other forms of bigotry. Kenneth Stern and others cautioned that codifying any single definition into enforceable rules requires careful drafting and attention to First Amendment limits.

The committee left the record open for 10 business days for additional submissions and questions for the record. No formal votes or binding committee actions were taken during the hearing; senators and witnesses announced and discussed investigations and pending legislation.

Why this matters: The hearing brought together civil-rights advocates, religious leaders and researchers to press the federal government and colleges for clearer rules, better enforcement, and more resources to protect students while preserving free-speech rights.

","Witnesses and senators at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing described a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents on U.S. college campuses, urged stronger enforcement of Title VI and endorsed pending bills including the Antisemitism Awareness Act and the Protecting Students on Campus Act.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senators clash over ICE arrests and removal proceedings tied to campus protests

Researcher tells Senate panel foreign donations correlate with campus antisemitic incidents; senators debate causation

Senate HELP hearing spotlights campus antisemitism, calls for stronger Title VI enforcement and new laws