AAUP’s Wolfson and AFT’s Weingarten on the Detainment of Columbia University International Student

WASHINGTON-American Association of University Professors President Todd Wolfson and AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement in response to reports that Department of Homeland Security agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to a Columbia University residential building and seize an international student:

"We are outraged by reports that DHS agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to a Columbia University residential building and seize an international student. We are relieved that the student has been released. But if reports of the circumstances of her arrest are accurate, this is a dangerous abuse of state power that threatens due process, undermines trust and safety on our campuses, and sends a chilling message to international students and scholars across the country. Universities must not become extensions of immigration enforcement or sites of fear and intimidation. The AAUP and AFT stand firmly with students, faculty and campus communities demanding accountability and the protection of fundamental rights."

# # # #

The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.