Suspension of Cornell PhD student for pro-Palestine action could force deportation

Cornell University in New York on Monday suspended an international student for his participation in a pro-Palestinian action at the university’s career fair at The Statler Hotel in Ithaca.

Momodou Taal is a Cornell Africana studies PhD student from the UK and a graduate leader of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML) on campus.

The 30-year-old was temporarily suspended for his involvement in pro-Palestinian organising and the university’s Gaza solidarity encampment during the spring semester. 

Taal, who is British Gambian and Muslim, was an instructor for: “What is Blackness? Race and Processes of Racialization". 

Last Wednesday, CML organised a walk-out of over 100 pro-Palestine protestors who then marched into the career fair for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations’s Human Capital and Human Relations.

The direct action targeted a number of companies that are listed in the student assembly referendum as “supported the ongoing war in Gaza”, such as Boeing and L3Harris. 

The university released a statement claiming that Cornell police officers were “pushed and shoved” and that guests of the career fair at the hotel “felt threatened”.

The statement went on to say that students were going to be identified and referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for “immediate action including suspension” and could also be “subject to potential criminal charges”.

On Monday, Taal received an email informing him of his second suspension. In the email, which the Cornell Sun obtained, Christina Liang, from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, said that Taal had been reported to university police for not complying with orders at last week's protest. 

Taal denied the allegations and told the Cornell Sun that "he gave a speech outside Day Hall before participating in the career fair disruption, but said he had only attended the protest for five minutes before promptly leaving". 

That same day, Taal was handed a copy of a no-trespass order that barred him from entering campus. 

There is targeted campaign of intimidation and harassment against me from Cornell’s administration and police. I have been suspended again. I had no chance to dispute the charges, nor see the evidence or appeal. They informed me that I am effectively being deported by the weekend

— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) September 23, 2024

“If you look at the makeup of these protesters, it is clear that they targeted a visible Black person of the Islamic faith,” Taal told the Cornell Sun. 

Middle East Eye reached out to Cornell University but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Cornell students, faculty, and alumni have been circulating a petition demanding the reinstatement of Taal. 

"This is the first time a Cornell graduate worker is facing immediate deportation without administrative due process or the ability to review evidence of their alleged misconduct," the petition reads.

"Unless we stand up to the university, it is entirely plausible that at any moment, Momodou will have less than a 48 hours notice to book a flight, pack up all of his belongings, and get out of the country." In the event of deportation, it is unclear where Taal would be deported.

On the social media platform X, Taal posted a screenshot of an email from a senior immigration advisor at Cornell, who told Taal: "Closure of your F-1 record affects the student's ability to remain or enter the US in F-1 status. There is no grace period for exiting the US.

"If the student is in the US, then they should exit as soon as possible or work with a licensed immigration lawyer to change their immigration status to another appropriate status."

Cornell has told the press that the university technically does not have the power to deport Taal, but can bar him from campus and make his status as a student inactive. 

Taal responded to this in another X post, asking the question, "What other word do I use for forcibly being told to leave the country?"

Cornell university keeps saying to press that have been contacted or through various channels that the university has no power to deport but only bar from campus or switch students active/inactive status. They are upset at the usage of the word “deportation”. 1. I have said…

— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) September 24, 2024

Taal's suspension has made waves outside of Ithica, New York, with many online criticising Cornell for its swift suspension of Taal, including Palestinian-American human rights lawyer Noura Erakat, who posted a link to the petition for Taal.

Cornell threatens to suspend grad student, Momodou Taal, without due process which could result in his deportation. Folks thought a Trump admin would set this precedent. Biden did. https://t.co/7EsbUZq9rJ

— Noura Erakat (@4noura) September 25, 2024

"I’d be lying if I said this isn’t taxing or taking its toll," Taal posted on X.

"Everyday we witness the horrors that Israel inflicts on people. And those of us who still have our humanity and are rightly incensed at what we see… are facing so much repression. You’d never think these institutions are responding to people protesting a genocide."

This article was amended on 26 September to clarify that Momodou Taal is a graduate student from the UK.