'Caution' Advised To Students Heading To America On J1
J-1 students have been warned not to attend any protests about the conflict in Gaza while in America.
The Union of Students in Ireland has students heading Stateside should display “caution” with regards to activism.
Since Donald Trump’s return to office, a number of migrants have been deported following their participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Larry Donnelly, a law lecturer in Galway, described the advice as “on the money”.
“I think that caution is probably the right word,” he said.
“It gives me no pleasure to say that as, like generations of Irish students before them, they go off to what we always regard as the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
“We see across the United States a crackdown on, in particular, college and university campuses and on what we would commonly regard as free speech.”
However, the Government says there's been no change to its policy for people going to America.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says anyone heading abroad should be mindful of the local environment, adding most J1 students don't attend protests.
