Although it might not get to this point, it’s not hard to imagine the White House eventually operating on a new, looser definition of treason in which “aid and comfort to the enemy” could include words that Trump or others in his admin don’t like. (They probably can’t legally redefine treason, but that might not matter since Trump has already shown he can enforce the law as he wants the law to be as opposed to enforcing the law as it is. Khalil is an example of this, as he might have his green card revoked without it going through an immigration court, which is the required process.)
The Trump admin has a list of universities it might financially punish for allowing Palestinian protests, which include top universities in New York and California, and it’s freezing/cutting funding for science research through universities in the US. Even non-science PhD programs in the US are reducing their budgets as a result.
The last point is probably the most obviously relevant for EAs right now, especially if they are deciding between studying at a US university or in another country—although anyone who cares about democracy and freedom of speech has reason to worry.
Thanks for this post.
Over the weekend, the White House ordered the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, an American permanent resident with an American wife, because he was a leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Khalil might have his green card canceled for his role in these protests.
Although it might not get to this point, it’s not hard to imagine the White House eventually operating on a new, looser definition of treason in which “aid and comfort to the enemy” could include words that Trump or others in his admin don’t like. (They probably can’t legally redefine treason, but that might not matter since Trump has already shown he can enforce the law as he wants the law to be as opposed to enforcing the law as it is. Khalil is an example of this, as he might have his green card revoked without it going through an immigration court, which is the required process.)
The Trump admin has a list of universities it might financially punish for allowing Palestinian protests, which include top universities in New York and California, and it’s freezing/cutting funding for science research through universities in the US. Even non-science PhD programs in the US are reducing their budgets as a result.
The last point is probably the most obviously relevant for EAs right now, especially if they are deciding between studying at a US university or in another country—although anyone who cares about democracy and freedom of speech has reason to worry.