Georgetown Immigrant Controversy Deepens Days From Graduation

The graduation ceremony for Georgetown University students is mere days away, and the controversy over Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson's scheduled appearance shows no sign of dying down.

On May 9, a group of 30 students signed a letter to Georgetown University leadership demanding that Johnson's invitation be rescinded because he would make undocumented immigrants at the school feel uncomfortable. The letter stated that students "should not be forced to receive our diplomas from an individual who is directly responsible for separating our families."

The next day, former Georgetown student Reed Howard started a petition on Change.org opposing the letter and demanding that officials "protect freedom of speech at Georgetown University." As of the afternoon of May 16, it had 347 signatures.

The Georgetown Voice today published an editorial board roundtable on the growing controversy, wondering what actions the university would take in response to the growing debate.

Chris Almeida, former editor-in-chief of the paper, argued that the protest didn't seem to be about Johnson's specific efforts, but it focused on him because he is the symbol of an agency that is "most directly connected to actions that have impacted undocumented students and their families."

Lilah Burke, news editor, said that just because Johnson has been invited as a commencement speaker doesn't mean the university endorses his views, pointing to the invitation of Kathleen Sebelius in 2012, who was then Secretary of Health and Human Services and was responsible for getting birth control covered by insurance -- a position the university stands against because it is officially Catholic. In this case, the university is officially in favor of serving undocumented immigrants, and so the editors suggested that leadership might issue a press release indicating it did not endorse those views, as they did with Sebelius.

Kevin Huggard, editor-in-chief, argued that it isn't a free speech issue because "no one is trying to silence [Johnson's] views on immigration. They object to his symbolic presence, not the views he will present."

Huggard went on to say the university had "botched" its message of support for undocumented immigrants by inviting Johnson. Burke agreed, calling it a "strategically poor decision."

Image via Wikimedia