72 Hours

Last evening we got news that a student from my university had his visa revoked and had been given 72 hours to leave the country. Declaring 19-year-olds persona-non-grata as though they are high-level diplomats. This is not the first wantonly cruel act by this administration, and it won’t be the last. On hearing the news, I spent some time despairing about the condition of this student I don’t know but who is presumably my elder nephew’s age, the students who I do know who are at a high risk of being targeted due to their activism and nationalities, and the non-negligible risk of deportation to myself. I thought about the emotional toll and logistical challenge of packing up your life and leaving within a few days. Most of the people around me have lived here far longer than I have, with roots here that are much less tenuous than mine. Then, scrolling Twitter, I came across clips of Jewish Columbia/Barnard students who had chained themselves to the gates of the university to protest against its complicity in the targeting of its own students. And, the clips brought tears to my eyes. They were also so young, so steadfast yet cheerful. Their responses to reporters’ questions were thoughtful and without a trace of hubris or showboating. It is times like these when the worst and best of humanity is on display. The worst is difficult to miss, but one must make the effort to see the best.