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Sen. Tuberville Advocates for Harsh Measures Against Protests on College Campuses
In a recent interview, Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) expressed strong opinions regarding protesters on college campuses who he believes promote “hateful” rhetoric, suggesting they should face imprisonment.
During his appearance on Fox Business Network’s “The Bottom Line,” Tuberville discussed the differences in educational levels, stating, “We have two levels of education: We have K through 12, and we have a higher ed. We’ve got to treat both of them different.”
He further elaborated on his stance regarding protesters, emphasizing the need for uniform treatment in their approach: “But when it comes to protesters, we got to make sure we treat all of them the same: Send them to jail.”
Tuberville highlighted his concerns about the role of free speech in educational institutions, particularly in relation to antisemitism. He remarked, “Free speech is great, but hateful, hate, free speech is not what we need in these universities, and they don’t need to be doing things that they’re preaching from Hamas about antisemitism.”
This interview coincided with the controversy surrounding Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia University who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his home. Khalil is facing immigration challenges as the Trump administration seeks to revoke his green card, asserting that he has engaged in pro-Hamas activities and antisemitism.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman has intervened temporarily, halting efforts to deport Khalil. However, prosecutors have requested the case be relocated to New Jersey or Louisiana, where he is currently detained, as outlined in a recent letter.
The actions against Khalil have prompted a number of Democrats to voice their concerns regarding First Amendment rights. In contrast, the Trump administration is relying on a specific provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which grants significant authority to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to deport foreigners deemed undesirable.
Rubio took to social media platform X on Monday, affirming the administration’s stance: “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported,” while referencing Khalil’s situation.
Tuberville criticized the support Khalil has garnered from Senate Democrats, labeling it “a shame.” He characterized the Democrats’ actions as indicative of a broader dissatisfaction with the United States, claiming, “They just want to, you know, tear it down.”
He concluded by asserting that Democratic lawmakers would continue to rally behind Khalil, claiming, “Every Democrat that we work with up here, they’re going to take this guy’s side, and they’re going to try to drive this narrative that he’s doing the right thing, he’s the people we should be backing.”
Source
thehill.com