Progressive Harvard Student Groups Post Fake Deportation Notices Around Campus

Progressive student groups at Harvard sparked outrage this week after they posted fake deportation notices around campus in an attempt to communicate “the reality” of modern America under President Trump.

Fake notices from the “Harvard Special Investigations Unit” declaring that a student had been detained appeared around campus this week, prompting outrage from students.

“We regret to inform you that a resident of this dorm has been detained indefinitely due to suspicious actions, suspected violent inclinations, or suspicion of being a deportable alien (i.e. questionable residency status),” the flyers read.

Although the flyers were designed in such a way that those who only gave them a cursory glance would believe them to be real, they were formally co-signed by the Harvard Concilio Latino, the Harvard Islamic Society, the Harvard Black Students Association and the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee. The groups provided a link to a calendar of their campus events at the bottom of the flyer.

“I was upset mostly because I think [the flyers] didn’t take into account the feelings of people who have actually seen deportation notices or experienced the risk of deportation, or have loved ones who are at risk of deportation — their responses were not taken into account,” Karla V. Alvarado said, arguing that her concern was inspired by the fact that both of her parents are undocumented.

In response to the backlash, the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee released a statement apologizing for the trauma that their flyers may have caused to members of the community, adding that their intent was to reach those on campus who “do not always get to walk away from a notice knowing that it is fake.”

“As organizers of this initiative, we would like to unequivocally apologize for any trauma and pain provoked by the seriousness of this notice,” the statement read.

“The campaign was intended to communicate that these issues are real, they’re jarring, they’re emotional, and that is the reality,” the group added.

Tom Ciccotta is a libertarian who writes about economics and higher education for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @tciccotta or email him at tciccotta@breitbart.com