WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has taken legal action against the Department of Education for allegedly obstructing the release of government records related to pro-Hamas activities on American college campuses. The organization claims that the Biden Administration has chosen to protect pro-Hamas foreign extremists, as reported on April 25, 2024.
In a statement, AFL emphasized the importance of upholding existing laws that prohibit support for Hamas and terrorism among individuals on F-1 student visas and naturalized citizens. They also pointed out the obligation of universities to refrain from supporting anti-Semitic groups and professors under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
According to AFL, the Biden Administration has failed to enforce these laws, leading to a situation where pro-Israel Americans and American Jews feel unprotected against pro-Hamas extremists. Reed Rubinstein, Senior Vice President of America First Legal, expressed concern over the administration's alleged inaction, stating, "These are not anti-war demonstrations – they are celebrations of Hamas’s bestial brutality."
Rubinstein further criticized the administration for turning a blind eye to what he described as an organized campaign of anti-Semitic intimidation and harassment. AFL's decision to sue the Department of Education aims to uncover the reasons behind the alleged protection of pro-Hamas extremists.
The lawsuit follows AFL's previous attempts to investigate the Biden Administration's response to pro-Hamas activities on college campuses, which were reportedly met with obstruction. AFL believes that transparency is crucial, stating, "Our citizens deserve to know why the Biden Administration has chosen to ignore our laws, to protect the viciously anti-Semitic pro-Hamas extremists and their fellow travelers, and to abandon law-abiding Americans."