Mexico's attorney general promises full investigation into mass grave

 

Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero speaks during a press conference at the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico, February 28, 2025. 

MEXICO CITY, March 11 (Reuters) - Mexico's Attorney General Alejandro Gertz pledged on Tuesday to conduct a full investigation into a mass grave recently found in western Jalisco state that is believed to be linked to the country's violent drug gangs.

The promise from Mexico's top prosecutor follows local media reports that a civilian activist group recently discovered the site in Teuchitlan, Jalisco, along with several ovens possibly used to cremate bodies.

White House claims Columbia is blocking hunt for "pro-Hamas" protesters

 Columbia University has not helped the Department of Homeland Security identify individuals the government claims engaged in "pro-Hamas activity," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Tuesday press briefing.

Why it matters: Columbia, which has already had $400 million in federal grants and contracts canceled over allegations of allowing antisemitism on campus, has said in statements it will continue to support its students and staff despite pressure from the Trump administration.

• Leavitt said she isn't sure how many additional arrests will come following the arrest of Columbia alumnus Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent participants of the university's pro-Palestinian encampment last spring.
• "I do know that DHS is actively working on it," Leavitt said.
• President Trump promised more arrests in a post to Truth Social on Monday.

Driving the news: The Trump administration launched an investigation into several prominent colleges such as Harvard and Yale over accusations of failing to protect Jewish students and staff on campus.

• In a Monday statement, Columbia rejected allegations that its leadership requested Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on or near its campus.
• "We are deeply committed to freedom of speech as a fundamental value that we must uphold as a community — citizens and non-citizens alike," Columbia's interim president Katrina Armstrong wrote on Monday.
• Columbia did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Catch up quick: Khalil, a U.S. resident with a green card, was arrested by federal immigration authorities on Saturday, heightening concerns over free speech during the Trump administration.

• The White House justified revoking Khalil's green card by saying his involvement in protests against Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounted to support for Hamas and ran afoul of Trump's executive order banning antisemitism.

• Green card holders typically must break the law to be deported.
• Leavitt on Tuesday cited a federal law that allows the Secretary of State to deport a green card holder whose presence or activities in the U.S. "would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."

Context: The arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters last spring sparked a debate about the limits of free speech on Columbia's campus.

• The Biden administration defended students' right to peaceful protest but condemned the "chaos" that broke out on campuses.

Columbia expels some students involved in building takeover in 2024 protests

Columbia University announced Thursday it's disciplining students involved in the occupation of a campus building during protests against the Israel-Hamas war last spring.

The big picture: The move comes after the Trump administration last week pulled some $400 million in federal grants and contracts from the university over allegations of antisemitism and after federal agents arrested a Columbia protest leader.

Driving the news: Columbia's five-member University Judicial Board issued punishments to students, including multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations and expulsions "in relation to the occupation of Hamilton Hall last spring," the university said in a statement.

• "With respect to other events taking place last spring, the UJB's determinations recognized previously imposed disciplinary action," the statement adds.
• The disciplinary actions come after the completion of a months-long process that included investigations and hearings.
• It was not immediately clear how many students have received such punishments. The university did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Context: The building takeover was part of an escalation of campus protests sweeping the nation over the Israel-Hamas war last spring, with Columbia as the movement's epicenter.

• Dozens of protesters breached an administrative building at the Ivy League campus in Manhattan in April 2024, barricading entrances and flying a Palestinian flag out a window.

• At the time, the protesters inside Hamilton Hall were ordered to leave or face expulsion or even charges of burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief and trespassing.
• The occupation came after the university began suspending students for refusing to leave their on-campus encampment.