Congressional investigations and White House threats are “chilling” Palestinian advocacy on Columbia University’s campus, according to lawyers for student activists, who are calling on a federal judge to block their disciplinary records from getting into the hands of Republican lawmakers.
Attorneys for several students — including Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident threatened with his removal from the country for supporting campus protests — called on a federal judge in New York City on Tuesday to block the release of those records, fearing they would be used to intimidate, harass and surveil demonstrators in an attempt to suppress campus speech in support of Palestine and against Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza.
