A Republican congressman is preparing legislation that would withhold federal aid from students who have been convicted as a result of anti-Israel demonstrations.
U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, who represents Texas’ 11th congressional district, is chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence.
“It’s simple: federal taxpayers should not be paying for college for anyone who engages in a violent riot or assaults a police officer,” the San Angelo-based Republican told Texas Scorecard. “There must be a return to order on college campuses.”
In a separate statement to Fox News, Pfluger emphasized that the “horrific antisemitic riots on college campuses across the country underscore the urgency of this issue.”
“We cannot allow the persecution of Jewish Americans or any community to go unchecked,” explained the lawmaker, who characterized the coming legislation as taking “a firm stance against violence and lawlessness.”
While the final text of the measure is being ironed out, Pfluger’s office said it would be introduced soon.
The planned proposal comes as anti-Israel protestors have ravaged colleges and universities across the country.
The University of Texas at Austin was forced to call state law enforcement after protestors constructed illegal encampments, pursuant to House Bill 1925 of the 87th Legislature’s regular session.
“After protestors ignored repeated directives from both the administration and law enforcement officers to comply with Institutional Rules and remove tents assembled on the University’s South Lawn, then physically engaged with and verbally assaulted Dean of Students staff who attempted to confiscate them, UT and partner law enforcement agencies dismantled an encampment and arrested several protestors. Baseball-sized rocks were found strategically placed within the encampment,” read a UT Texas statement.
James Clark, an attorney with the Travis County Public Defender’s office, estimated that over 90 protestors were arrested on Monday. In the days since, more individuals—most of whom are not UT students—have been arrested.
Meanwhile, at Columbia University, administrators aired concerns that outside agitators could be responsible for instigating a break-in to Hamilton Hall on Tuesday, which pushed security personnel out of the building.
Protest arrests have reached upwards of 2,000 at the University of California, Los Angeles, with police arresting over 200 on Thursday occupying Royce Hall—the site of the university’s historic auditorium.
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