Cornell University student Momodou Taal fears he may have to leave the U.S. following his involvement in a pro-Palestinian demonstration last month.
Taal, an international doctoral student from the United Kingdom, teaches a course called “What Is Blackness?” at Cornell and has been active in pro-Palestinian advocacy on campus.
But under a new — and controversial — university policy governing protests, Taal was one of four students suspended in April after he participated in a pro-Palestinian encampment. And two weeks ago, he joined more than 100 demonstrators at a campus career fair in protest of Boeing and L3Harris being allowed to participate. The two defense contractors have been criticized for providing weapons to Israel.
Taal admits that he joined a crowd of people who entered the career fair, but says that he left after five minutes. Some of the activists reportedly confronted Boeing representatives at the fair.
The university released a statement condemning the demonstration, writing in part:
Cornell Police officers were pushed and shoved. Guests of the university felt threatened. And students were denied their ability to experience the Career Fair. This behavior is unacceptable, a violation of university policy, and illegal. Cornell Police are working to identify those who violated our policies, and students will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for immediate action including suspension. Faculty and staff will be referred to Human Resources. These individuals will also be subject to potential criminal charges.
A university official overseeing student conduct informed Taal in an email last week that he had been suspended again — after his purported display of “escalating, egregious behavior and a disregard for the University policies” — and was given a no-trespass order that bars him from campus. The official also told Taal that his F-1 student visa would be terminated, which can happen to foreign students who are suspended multiple times, and referred him to an immigration adviser.
Taal alleges that he has been targeted because he is Black and Muslim. The university’s interim president, Michael Kotlikoff, has denied any targeting. In a statement Monday, Kotlikoff said that nearly 20 participants in the career fair protest had been identfied and added:
All who have been identified as Cornell students are being referred for conduct violations. Other members of our community who are identified as having participated will face similar referrals. No one has been singled out, and no one who did not participate in the disruption of this university event has been referred.
Taal has been granted two shots at appeal. The first — to Cornell’s vice president for student and campus life — was denied. The second — to the university provost — is under review.
In an interview with The ReidOut Blog, Taal said his Black identity has inspired his activism.
In an interview with The ReidOut Blog, Taal said his Black identity has inspired his activism. “When I think of the best of the Black radical tradition, it always has centered movements in America and beyond,” he said. “Wherever they perceive injustice, I have found Black figures at the forefront. Many of the Black figures that I study, they also focus and spoke about Palestine as well in their time.” Taal, who counts Malcolm X as one of his inspirations, said his situation is indicative of a broader crackdown on free speech on college campuses. And as he awaits word on his appeal and potentially imminent removal from the country, Taal has received an outpouring of liberal support — including from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. It is appalling that Cornell University appears ready to deport an international student without regard for due process, simply because of their presence at a protest. It is wrong, and I urge the university to reverse course immediately. https://t.co/JSrxOzVxKl Taal’s destiny is in the hands of the university at this point. And an email he received from his immigration adviser last week warned him that things could move quickly if his appeal is denied. “There is no grace period for departure from the US once your F-1 record is closed,” the adviser wrote. “You should leave either before the end date of your F-1 record or right away after the record is closed.”
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog. Recommended
