Cornell threatens to cut funding for two pro-Palestine grad students unless they return to campus
Cornell told two graduate students involved in a pro-Palestine protest that their stipends will be withdrawn unless they resume on-campus teaching in Ithaca, despite earlier promises to fund them abroad.
Cornell University rescinded its earlier assurance that two graduate students—Momodou Taal and Amandla Thomas-Johnson—could finish their programs abroad with university funding after ICE targeted them for participation in a September 2024 pro-Palestine demonstration. ICE inquiries started in March 2025, prompting the students to flee to Cairo to avoid possible detention. In a June 10 letter, Cornell instructed that continued stipends require on-campus teaching assistantships in Ithaca, warning that remote instruction is not permitted.
Both students, whose only financial support comes from the university, say returning would likely result in arrest, while the graduate student union alleges the move violates their bargaining agreement. The university’s spokesperson rejected claims of political targeting, asserting the funding policy is consistent with past practice and unrelated to the November 2025 agreement with the federal government. The situation highlights tensions between immigration enforcement, campus activism, and graduate funding policies.
Why it matters
It shows how immigration pressure can affect academic freedom and students’ ability to complete graduate studies.
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