Another FIU student organization is in hot water this week on the heels of the discovery of a group chat sent to the university administration. The email containing the chat and reports about the incident has led to a full investigation into the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. The same has now happened to the FIU College Republicans.
Last Thursday, a group of FIU students walked out of class to join in solidarity with a nation of people demanding a clean DREAM Act, a program that would protect undocumented youth that were brought to the United States as children from deportation. The pressure on Congress to approve a clean DREAM Act comes after Trump’s decision to discontinue the program, leaving Congress to create a solution that has yet to come.
As this very important conversation, especially for the DACA students on the FIU campus, took place, a group of students part of the FIU College Republicans were making jokes about trying to get protesters deported. These conversations in a private group chat, first shared provided to the Miami New Times, included messages about calling ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Screenshots also show more insensitive comments about the car that mowed through a crowd and killed a protestor in Charlottesville along with another dismissing the threat of white supremacist groups and suggesting that the Black Lives Matter movement is somehow more of a threat to our country.
A member of the College Republicans has stated that the leaders of the group have addressed the students that made the jokes and FIU has released a statement saying they are investigating the matter. As of this moment, no type of disciplinary action has been taken against students mocking the experiences of those that have bravely outed themselves as Dreamers. The inaction of the College Republicans’ leadership against a group of students that condones threatening marginalized communities with violence and intimidation, discussing purchasing weapons that have been used in the recent mass shootings our country has faced, speaks volumes on where they stand. More than 800 people have signed a student petition demanding that the university administration take disciplinary action against them.
Cover Photo: Miami New Times