In response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism and the White House fact sheet that accompanied it, Justin Mazzola, Deputy Research Director with Amnesty International USA, made the following statement:
“Addressing antisemitism is crucially important, and we have seen multiple examples of its persistence here in the U.S. which cannot and should not go ignored. But we are deeply concerned that this executive order appears to instead be largely targeting students exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.
“We at Amnesty International USA condemn hateful rhetoric and violence against Jewish communities in the strongest possible terms, including when done under the guise of protest. But protesting war crimes and calling for Palestinian human rights must not be conflated with antisemitism nor considered a deportable offense.
“Targeting peaceful protesters and their immigration status is a violation of human rights, and it sends a chilling message to people across this country, on and off campuses who will be fearful of reprisal for exercising their rights. All people, including students and faculty, have the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression – full stop.
“Students from around the world look to the collegiate hubs of the U.S. for the opportunity to further their education and be part of every facet of campus life, and campuses historically have been places for students and faculty to express their opinions freely under the First Amendment and without the threat of deportation.
“The right to be free from discrimination underpins the human rights framework. It is ironic and deeply unfortunate that President Trump has slashed so many DEI initiatives, considering the long way we still have to go towards embracing a truly inclusive society in this country. We urge the new Trump Administration to take a holistic approach to government policies that ensures that the Jewish community and all communities in this country can truly be safe and free from harassment, hate and discrimination.”
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