Obama DHS Chief Jeh Johnson Withdraws as Vassar Commencement Speaker Following Protests

Former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, who served during the Obama administration, has withdrawn from his spot as the next commencement speaker at Vassar College in the wake of student protests over his border policies.

In what is one of the latest examples of intolerance on campus, Johnson — who served during the second Obama administration — will be replaced by actor John Leguizamo for the May 22 commencement speech at Vassar, the school announced.

The former DHS secretary had fallen under fire by student protesters over what one student called Johnson’s “violence on marginalized peoples,” according to a report by Insider.

Moreover, a story in Vassar’s student newspaper, the Miscellany News, quoted students referring to Johnson as guilty of “war crimes,” and warned of “protest and disruption” should he speak.

On Monday, the article appeared to have been deleted from the student newspaper.

“We decided to pull the article off our website due to some factual inaccuracies caused by some quick reporting, and we’re working to address them thoroughly,” a Miscellany News editor told Insider.

Instead, the link to the initial article redirected readers to a statement by Johnson, in which the former DHS secretary explained that he would be stepping down as commencement speaker, stating, “I believe commencements should be joyous, tension-free events.”

“I do not seek to be the object of controversy or speak at a commencement where students will object to me,” he wrote.

Johnson continued:

Immigration is a difficult and painful issue. In my three years as Secretary of Homeland Security, I visited our southern border numerous times. During those visits, I often took the time to enter Border Patrol holding stations and speak directly through a translator to the children in our care, to ensure their welfare. As a father, I wanted to take them all home with me; as the Cabinet official responsible for securing our border, I knew I could not.

At the same time, on my watch, the number of deportations from our country went down, the percentage of those deported who were convicted of serious offenses went up, and the number of young people enrolled in DACA went up. Whether immigration, border security or national security, leaders with a sense of humanity are often faced with less than perfect choices, sometimes nothing but ugly choices, but we always try to do the right thing.

Johnson is not the only commencement speaker to fall under attack by a woke mob of students.

In 2017, over 100 students at the University of Notre Dame walked out of a commencement address given by then-Vice President Mike Pence.

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