Cornell University is at the center of a contentious debate after threatening to cut funding for two graduate students unless they return to the United States. The students, Momodou Taal and Amandla Thomas-Johnson fled the country in to avoid potential deportation linked to their participation in a pro-Palestine protest. Now, the university is demanding their return to teach on campus or risk losing their financial support.
The university had initially agreed to allow Taal and Thomas-Johnson to complete their degrees abroad with funding. However, this stance shifted when the Trump administration began targeting them for possible deportation. The students believe they would likely be detained by immigration authorities if they return to the U.S.
Students Fear Deportation and Detention
Taal and Thomas-Johnson, both British citizens, participated in a protest that shut down a Cornell job fair featuring weapons manufacturers Boeing and L3Harris. The protest led to their suspension and a ban from campus, which they feared would expose them to deportation. In, they fled the country amid a wave of deportation cases targeting international student activists.
Taal, a dual citizen of Britain and Gambia, sued the Trump administration over an executive order targeting pro-Palestine international students. Despite his efforts, a federal judge declined to block his deportation, prompting him to leave the U.S. to avoid ICE detention facilities. Thomas-Johnson followed suit, fleeing to Canada, Switzerland, Senegal, and Ghana before joining Taal in Cairo.
University’s Stance and Student Struggles
Cornell University has denied targeting students for their protest activities, stating that its approach to graduate student funding is longstanding and unrelated to protest activity. However, the students and their supporters argue that the university’s demand for their return is politically motivated.
Taal and Thomas-Johnson have expressed their inability to return to the U.S. due to the risk of detention. Taal stated, “I have no money. I’m not going to be able to make rent.” Thomas-Johnson echoed these sentiments, saying, “I go through day-to-day anxiety — how can I be expected to finish a Ph.D?”
The university has offered alternative funding options, such as fellowships, but these opportunities for the coming semester were closed months ago. The students’ departments and faculty have been supportive, suggesting that the funding decision likely came from the university administration.
The Broader Context and Future Implications
The dispute comes amid a broader context of increased scrutiny and targeting of pro-Palestine activists. In, Cornell inked a deal with the Trump administration to give the government $60 million and capitulate to inquiries into diversity initiatives and antisemitism in exchange for the restoration of federal funding to the school.
The Cornell chapter of a pro-Israel alumni group, Alums for Campus Fairness, has been circulating a mailer praising university President Michael Kotlikoff for taking “action to support Jewish students” and “meaningful action to address campus disruptions.” The mailer indirectly applauded “banning a leading agitator from returning to campus,” a reference believed to be aimed at Taal and Thomas-Johnson.
The graduate student union has filed grievances alleging that the offers breach their collective bargaining agreement with the university. Ewa Nizalowska, president of the Cornell graduate student union, described the policy as a “clear reversal” of previous arrangements made to ensure that graduate students with visa issues could complete their degrees remotely with continued funding.
As the situation unfolds, Taal and Thomas-Johnson face an uncertain future. They have considered returning to Gambia or Britain but fear similar targeting of pro-Palestine activists in those countries. The case highlights the broader challenges faced by international students and activists in the current political climate.
