White House Press Secretary Criticizes Reporting on Mistakenly Deported Man, Addresses Harvard Funding

White House Response to Deportation Case

• 🎤 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt opened her briefing by addressing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
• 🗣️ Leavitt criticized media reporting as "despicable" and "sensationalized," contrasting public concern for Garcia with the murder of an American citizen, Rachel Morren, by another undocumented immigrant.
• ⚖️ She referred to Abrego Garcia as a "criminal" and an "MS-13 El Salvadorian illegal alien," though his family and attorney dispute allegations of MS-13 ties.
• 🏛️ The Supreme Court has ruled that Abrego Garcia's release should be facilitated.

Harvard University Funding Dispute

• 💰 Leavitt discussed the administration's stance on Harvard University's federal funding, which has been frozen at over $2 billion.
• 🚫 The freeze is due to Harvard's rejection of conditions proposed by the administration regarding the handling of antisemitism and harassment on campus.
• 📜 Leavitt stated that the President expects Harvard to comply with federal law, specifically Title VI, to ensure Jewish students and students of any faith are not illegally harassed.
• 🏦 She questioned why taxpayers should subsidize a university with a $50 billion endowment, especially when "grave antisemitism" exists on campus.
• private universities should have autonomy over their curriculum and admissions, regardless of the political party in power.

Immigration Policy Discussion

• 🇺🇸 Leavitt also addressed a reporter's question about the President's suggestion of sending US citizens convicted of violent crimes to El Salvador.
• 🤔 She confirmed that this is something the administration is "potentially looking into," without elaborating on its legality.