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Welcome to logoff: Today, I focus on the Trump administration's attempts to deport foreign students without trial.
Why is the administration trying to deport Ozturk? So far, the administration has not indicted Oztalk any crimes and has provided no evidence that she engaged in criminal acts.
Last year, Ozturk co-authored the OP-ED in Tufts' Student Newspaper, which criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that she had revoked her visa to participate in the anti-Gaza War movement. Rubio said the movement was engaged in vandalism and other crimes but did not say that Ozturk was involved.
Is this an isolated incident? This case is very similar to that of Mahmoud Khalil, and more arrests may come. Rubio proposed on Thursday to cancel his 300 student visas for similar reasons.
Can the administration do this? The administration argues that the 1952 Immigration Act gives Rubio the right to revoke immigrant green cards that consider him to act against national security threats or US interests. The court will weigh the validity of the claim.
What is the overall picture? The Trump administration has found another way to use the federal government to punish political views. If Ozturk is punished for other reasons, it is mandatory for the government to make the claim publicly. But so far, they don't feel the need to try. It's a troubling sign for immigrant civil liberties, and for everyone else.
And so, it's time to log off…
I know that not everyone agrees, but I think there is a high chance that there will be an alien life waiting for us in space. And I devoured this episode of Vox's Can't explain A podcast on extraterrestrial search. You can listen to it on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and more. But considering how beautiful life is on this planet, would you recommend listening to it outside? Thank you for reading. I'll see you here tomorrow.
