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"This is a deliberate targeting of a Black Muslim student at an institution where those two identities are increasingly unwelcome," said the Ph.D. candidate, Momodou Taal.
Two members of Congress on Friday joined the growing chorus of voices criticizing Cornell University for the administration's treatment of Ph.D. student Momodou Taal, a U.K. citizen who could be deported as a result of his pro-Palestinian activism on the Ithaca, New York campus.
"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," U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a top congressional critic of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip, said on social media early Friday.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.)—another opponent of genocide in Gaza who is set to leave the House of Representatives at the end of this term after losing his primary to a pro-Israel candidate—spoke out in support of Taal Friday evening.
"Momodou Taal participated in a peaceful student protest against weapons contractors' presence in a career fair—Cornell set into motion his deportation."
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the November election, "showed us how he felt about Black immigrants, and I urge Cornell to refrain from doing the same," Bowman said on social media.
"Momodou Taal participated in a peaceful student protest against weapons contractors' presence in a career fair—Cornell set into motion his deportation," he explained. "Cornell must reverse his suspension. Student protest and free expression are critical rights that universities need to uphold for students and faculty alike."
Joel M. Malina, Cornell's vice president for university relations, has told multiple media outlets this week that "universities can disallow enrollment and bar a student from campus, but do not have deportation powers."
In response, Taal's attorney, Eric Lee, has called that statement "a cynical sleight of hand," given that "the administration has made the decision to persecute Mr. Taal for free speech activity knowing full well that doing so will subject him to serious immigration consequences," which sets "a dangerous national precedent."
Taal, 30-year-old a Ph.D. candidate in Africana studies who was teaching a writing seminar at Cornell, is part of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation. He was among over 100 students who marched into the on-campus career fair last week due to participation from Boeing and L3Harris, defense contractors that students targeted for "supporting the ongoing war in Gaza."
In a video interview with Taal published on Friday, The Cornell Daily Sun's Gabriel Levin noted that the newspaper does not know of any other students suspended because of the career fair protest. Taal suggested that he is being targeted because of his identity as a Black Muslim man and he is seen as a leader of pro-Palestinian campus activism.
Early Monday, Taal received an email about a Cornell police complaint against him related to the career fair protest—which contains allegations that the graduate student denies—and his resulting suspension. He has been barred from campus.
Because Taal has attended the Ivy League school with an F-1 visa, the suspension means he could soon be deported. As The Nationreported on Wednesday:
The F-1 visa program allows foreign nationals to reside in the United States if they are enrolled in an academic educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program. Those with F-1 visas can also work on campus and in limited off-campus training positions. According to the Department of Homeland Security, suspension from an academic program is a valid reason for the termination of a record, which changes the immigration status of someone holding a F-1 visa.
Cornell University did not respond to questions about its policies and procedures regarding the suspension of a student with an F-1 visa.
As of publication, the university still refers to disciplinary action against Taal as a "temporary suspension." But by suspending Taal, the university set in motion immigration procedures without having to provide the level of evidence that due process would require, if the charges against Taal were criminal, which they are not.
Taal said on social media Thursday that "the VP of student and campus life, Ryan Lombardi, rejected my appeal after one business day. This demonstrates once again that my ability to stay in this country is being hastily handled without due process in a continued attempt to silence me. I have until 5:00 pm tomorrow to appeal to the provost. If the provost rejects this appeal, then I believe my withdrawal will be processed and I will promptly have to leave the country."
"Once again, there has been no investigation, nor have I had a chance to even respond to the allegations against me," he continued. "I maintain that all my actions have been peaceful and in accordance with my First Amendment rights. This is a deliberate targeting of a Black Muslim student at an institution where those two identities are increasingly unwelcome. When it comes to Palestine the university will abandon all commitments to academic freedom and free speech to protect its corporate interests."
Taal's next appeal goes to Cornell's interim provost, John Siciliano—who, in a Monday email to students, "advocated for severe punishments against pro-Palestinian activists, including legal action," as the Sunnoted in a Thursday editorial.
Cornell is facing mounting pressure from students, professors, alumni, and campus groups as well as advocates and organizations in Ithaca and across the country to stop "unjustly" punishing Taal—who was also involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy at Cornell during the last academic year, as protests over Israel's assault on Gaza were held on campuses across the United States.
"What should make Taal's suspension troubling to every member of the Cornell community is not at all about whether one agrees with his beliefs—it's that the university hasn't shown Taal the due process that all students deserve," the Sun's editorial states. "Without an independent party weighing the evidence, this can't be called anything other than a kangaroo court in which the provost serves as judge, jury, and executioner."
"To make matters worse, Cornell may have violated labor law, too," the newspaper detailed. "Cornell breached an agreement it had signed just three months ago with Cornell Graduate Students United, which requires the university to bargain with the union when graduate students might be de-enrolled or suspended. Here, no bargaining took place. The university simply chose to impose its will unilaterally."
Although the consequences of Taal's on-campus activism may be severe, he made clear on social media Friday evening that he "will never regret going hard for Palestine."
UAW Region 9 director Daniel Vicente said the workers "used their power to push back on Cornell's arrogance and win a great contract."
Unionized workers at Cornell University confirmed Wednesday that they had reached a tentative agreement with the Ivy League institution after months of negotiations and nearly two weeks on strike.
The deal, which still requires ratification by over 1,000 workers, "includes record wage increases of up to 25.4%, a cost-of-living adjustment, and the elimination of the two-tier wage system," according to a statement from the United Auto Workers (UAW). "The agreement also introduces significant improvements to policies on time off, uniforms, inclement weather, and safety protections."
During negotiations, the union highlighted that as Cornell's endowment has soared to around $10 billion and tuition has risen 13% over the past four years, top administrators have made millions while many of the custodians, dining and facility workers, gardeners, and others haven't made a living wage for Ithaca, New York and struggled to afford housing and campus parking fees.
"Cornell University workers are the latest UAW members standing up to the billionaire class."
"Workers at Cornell were fed up with being exploited and disrespected," declared UAW Local 2300 President Christine Johnson on Wednesday, echoing her remarks when workers walked off the job late August 18, shortly before the start of the academic year. "This agreement is going to mean a better life for the people who make Cornell run."
Union members had voted by 94% to authorize the strike on August 16. In a bargaining update late Tuesday, after 12 hours at the negotiating table led to the deal, union negotiators told members that the strike remains ongoing. If workers ratify the agreement on September 1-2, they should plan to return to work on September 3.
Citing a university statement about the deal, The Cornell Daily Sunreported Wednesday that "it will take a few days for campus operations to be fully restored once the agreement is ratified. Therefore, they encourage students without meal swipes to eat at non-Cornell Dining eateries until usual staffing levels have been restored."
Although the deal is not yet approved by workers, UAW Region 9 director Daniel Vicente seemed optimistic on Wednesday.
"The workers at Cornell used their power to push back on Cornell's arrogance and win a great contract," Vicente said. "They stood together and showed the university that they were willing to do what was needed to win what they deserve."
Meanwhile, the UAW framed the deal as part of a wave of victories secured by its members nationwide over the past year.
"Cornell University workers are the latest UAW members standing up to the billionaire class," the union said. "Thousands of UAW members have won record contracts in the last year, including autoworkers at Daimler Truck, the Big Three automakers, and Allison Transmission workers in Indianapolis."
"Cornell could have settled this weeks ago. Instead, they've scoffed and laughed at us and broken federal law. We're done playing around," said the president of UAW Local 2300.
More than 1,000 unionized campus workers at Cornell University—from maintenance and dining room employees to gardeners and custodians—went on strike late Sunday to protest management's refusal to negotiate in good faith and put forth a fair pay and benefits package.
The strike by Cornell employees, who are represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2300, coincided with the Ivy League university's student move-in day. The union local has filed seven separate unfair labor practice charges against Cornell with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the university of retaliating against workers for engaging in protected union activity and interfering with organizing efforts.
"Workers at Cornell are fed up with being exploited and used," said Christine Johnson, the president of UAW Local 2300. "The university would much rather hoard its wealth and power than pay its workers fairly. Cornell could have settled this weeks ago. Instead, they've scoffed and laughed at us and broken federal law. We're done playing around."
The strike's launch followed an authorization vote last week in which 94% of participants opted to greenlight a walkout if a deal wasn't reached with Cornell management by Sunday night.
The contract that covers the 1,200 Cornell campus workers expired on June 30, and union negotiators have been pushing the university's management to approve a substantial wage increase, waive parking fees for campus employees, implement cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to ensure pay keeps up with inflation, and eliminate the tiered wage system.
Under the tiered system, The Ithaca Voiceexplained, "workers that began at Cornell University prior to June 30, 1997 make a higher wage than workers that were hired after that date. Under the current labor contract, a custodian at Cornell might make $21.99 an hour, but a custodian on the same pay grade that started before the tier date makes $26.12 an hour."
Over the summer, members of the UAW local put out a video explaining how they are "the heart, soul, and backbone" of the university and detailing how hard it has become for them to live in the town where they work or get by on the paltry wages they make:
So far, the university has offered a 6% wage increase in the first year of the new contract—an amount workers say is inadequate—while refusing to budge on the union's demand for a COLA, free parking, and an end to tiered wages.
In its press release announcing the strike, the UAW highlighted that Cornell's endowment has grown to nearly $10 billion over the past four years—an increase of 39%—and tuition has risen 13% while real wages for workers have fallen 5%. The union also pointed to lavish compensation for top university administrators, which was upwards of $12.4 million in 2022.
The UAW
says most campus workers at Cornell make less than $22 an hour—below the estimated living wage in Ithaca, New York.
"The workers at Cornell are pushing back against the university's arrogance and greed," Daniel Vicente, director of UAW Region 9, said late Sunday. "With a $10 billion endowment, the administration can more than afford the members’ demands. Workers in Local 2300 are showing the university that they are willing to do what's needed to win what they deserve."