Daines is seeking to exclude students arrested during campus protests from federal debt relief

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines wants to bar students convicted of crimes related to the ongoing wave of campus protests from receiving future student loan relief.

While the measure comes in the wake of demonstrations sparked by the war between Israel and Hamas, the legislation co-sponsored by Daines would affect any student convicted of a state or federal offense during a protest on campus. The recent protests have “enabled anti-Jewish and pro-terrorist groups to wreak havoc on their campuses and harm Jewish students with violent, anti-Semitic threats,” Daines, a Republican, said in a statement.

The legislation, introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is known as the No Bailouts for Campus Criminals Act. Cotton, who advocated for the use of the military to quell nationwide demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in 2020, has called on President Joe Biden to deploy the National Guard to quell campus protests.

The law states that anyone convicted during a protest at a university is not entitled to any or any part of a covered loan under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Recent demonstrations have resulted in more than 2,100 arrests, according to the Associated Press. As of May 2, the Associated Press noted that there have been at least 50 cases of arrests at 40 different colleges in the United States since April 18.

Participants are largely demanding that colleges and universities sever ties with Israel following the offensive in Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed about 1,200 people. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip died in the ensuing fighting.

“If a student is implicated in a crime related to these immoral, un-American protests, their federal support should be withdrawn,” Daines said.

The Biden administration attempted to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower via executive action in 2022, but the Supreme Court struck down the plan in 2023.

The White House has since launched alternative attempts to provide student debt relief, relying on the Higher Education Act. These programs provide relief for students whose debt exceeds the original amount borrowed, those who have made payments for more than 20 years, students who attended colleges after their accreditation was revoked, and borrowers who are already eligible have on remission.

Daines’ bill would prevent convicted students from qualifying.

“Freedom-loving Americans should not be forced to pay off student loans for criminals who promote terror and hate,” Daines said.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at [email protected] or 758-4459.