Violence is Violence: WASHINGTON A private WhatsApp group of Columbia University alumni and pro-Israel activists has been exposed as a hub for efforts to identify, target, and potentially deport students and faculty involved in protests in solidarity with Palestine. According to a report published by The Intercept on Saturday, members of the group, which includes more than 1,000 individuals, have actively discussed how to report pro-Palestinian protesters to law enforcement and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The group, Columbia Alumni for Israel, has frequently targeted Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, suggesting that their protests are signs of "support for Hamas" and calling for deportations of foreign students involved, according to the screenshots from the group obtained by The Intercept. The group had already been discussing deporting Gaza protesters, but after President Donald Trump's executive order, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism," which paved the way for the deportation of students involved in pro-Palestine demonstrations, members circulated flyers promoting a pro-Palestine Jan. 21 walkout, the report said. One exchange, cited in the report, reveals group members strategizing how to help ICE identify students on visas by sharing photos and utilizing advanced technology to do so. Lynne Bursky-Tammam, a former assistant professor at Columbia’s Teachers College, was quoted as saying, "Identifying the Columbia student-Hamas-sympathizers who show up is key to deporting those with student visas." Victor Muslin, another alumnus, responded by urging group members to identify students who may be involved in the protests. "If there are photos of someone who needs to be identified (even with a partially obscured face), I have access to tech that may be able to help," Muslin stated, according to The Intercept report, citing screenshots from the WhatsApp group. In late January, a group member shared an article about students protesting Israel’s killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, and Bursky-Tammam responded, questioning who funded the protesters and stating, “Arresting them for hate crimes is not enough. We have to get rid of them.” The Intercept said Bursky-Tammam declined to comment on the report and Muslin did not respond to requests for comment. Anadolu was unable to independently verify the WhatsApp messages. In January, Trump issued an executive order ordering the US government to use “all available and appropriate legal tools” to combat anti-Semitism, including prosecuting and removing those accused of "unlawful anti-Semitic harassment". The measure paved the way for student-led anti-war demonstrations that have erupted on college campuses in response to Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,000 people, mostly women and children. - Targeting US citizens through other legal means Although the majority of students involved in the protests are US citizens and thus exempt from deportation, the group members discussed tactics for targeting them through other legal means, including “material support for terror organizations.” Civil rights organizations, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, have voiced alarm over what they see as an infringement on students' First Amendment rights. "It’s a very dangerous precedent,” said Abed Ayoub, executive director of the committee, emphasizing the broader effort to silence Palestinian and Arab voices critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Columbia University has faced intense criticism for its handling of protests, particularly after President Nemat "Minouche" Shafik called in the New York Police Department to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators on campus in April 2024. The move sparked a wave of pro-Palestinian protests at universities in New York City and nationwide, with thousands of students standing in solidarity with Columbia students and calling on their universities for total divestment from Israel. Anadolu reached out to Columbia University for comment on the report and inquired whether any students had been deported but did not receive an immediate response.