Florida Republicans propose reporting students to Homeland Security for 'promoting terrorism'

[Celerity]

https://www.reckon.news/news/2023/11/in-the-wake-of-pro-palestine-activism-florida-republicans-propose-reporting-students-to-homeland-security-for-promoting-terrorism.html



Florida college students could be investigated for supporting “foreign terrorism” threats under a new legislative proposal. Republican lawmakers in the state House and Senate introduced companion bills (HB 465, SB 470) after an increase of student activism efforts – mostly in support of Palestine and a ceasefire – across the country and the state of Florida amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Opponents of the legislation warn that the proposals could have dire consequences for free speech. “This legislation will have a chilling effect on all student expression throughout college campuses. I am concerned that this bill (HB 465), if implemented into law, will be weaponized by the state to suppress freedom of speech and ruin student’s lives by accusing them of promoting terrorism,” state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, a Florida Democrat, told Reckon.

The bills put forth by state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia and Rep. John Temple, both Republicans from central Florida, state that foreign terrorist organizations include, but are not limited to, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad. A representative of Rep. Temple’s office said they would respond to Reckon but did not by the time of publication. However, Rep. Temple told the Tallahassee Democrat, “Florida’s commitment is to stand with Israel and not be complicit to foreign terrorist organizations making postsecondary institutions a place for activism.”

The legislation, if passed, will require universities and colleges to report students who protest in support of ‘foreign terrorist organizations’ – not domestic terrorist organizations – as defined in the bill, to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Under the bill’s language, ‘promoting’ groups like Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad would also make students ineligible for institutional and state grants, financial aid, scholarships, tuition assistance and require students to pay out-of-state tuition without fee waivers.

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