Whistleblower Says University Helping National Security Threats Enter The US?
A whistleblower from Columbia University claims that she was fired for not admitting students to the country without proper paperwork.
Columbia University is being sued for allegedly pressuring staff to admit undocumented students. The former director of the Office of International Student Services for Columbia’s Teachers College has brought forward a federal case after being fired for not bending international student rules in 2019. This comes at a time when the border crisis is escalating and The Biden Administration refuses to address the threat this poses to American national security.
The Center for Immigration Studies recently estimated that over one million illegal immigrants have entered the United States during The Biden Administration’s short time in office. Biden’s soft stature on immigration policies has encouraged the surge in undocumented border crossings, and supporters have embraced the idea of open borders at many liberal universities. Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children are allowed to attend colleges. This gives those popularly deemed “dreamers” the ability to expand their knowledge and contribute to the country they have been living in for years. How much this costs taxpayers each year is unknown, but former Columbia University staff member Yocasta Brens has alleged that she was instructed by another administrator to admit incoming students from other countries “without the necessary documentation.”
Most of the students in question were from South Africa and did not meet federal regulations. Brens was later accused of being “inflexible,” and then fired. Brens then invoked the Columbia University whistleblower policy in an effort to expose their illegal activity.
She has accused the Columbia University administration of advising her to falsify student statuses, illegally extend immigration documents, and overlook students’ inability to speak English. If true, these are serious crimes that allow adults from other countries to enter the United States without ensuring that international students are seeking educational opportunities. Anyone could sign up and step foot on American soil with intent to harm.
Furthermore, colleges like Columbia University have been targeted by other countries for military spying operations. In 2020, a Harvard professor and 2 other Chinese individuals were charged for illegally aiding the People’s Republic of China. Earlier this year, a University of Kansas professor was convicted of hiding suspicious ties to China as well. This year alone, 23 terrorist suspects were stopped by Border Patrol, but as more and more illegal immigrants cross the southern border processing those who enter the US becomes more difficult.
This is an issue that the federal government has been dealing with for years, and colleges have even encouraged newly arrived undocumented students to enroll in their classes. In 2018 New Jersey reportedly paid $1.6 million in tuition fees for illegal immigrants during the fall semester. Then, New York passed The Dream Act in January of 2019 to give illegal aliens taxpayer-funded financial aid for school. While this may be seen as a helpful act, the truth of the matter is that paying for students who don’t pay into the system leads to more debt and leaves college campuses — and the communities that support them — vulnerable to security breaches and national security threats. Columbia University’s alleged actions put Americans at risk.
Numerous international students enter the country legally and peacefully each semester, but the fact is that terrorists and spies seek out weaknesses in order to gain access into the United States. It is unknown what sort of damages Bruns is seeking, but if proven, her claims against Columbia University display a serious security threat. Whether the Department of Justice will be pursuing a criminal case against the college as well is uncertain. What is clear is that college campuses have been subject to international incidents and will continue to do so as long as lax immigration policies are allowed.
