Education - Deportation Stunt Backfires At US University

A Donald Trump-loving young man at a southern US university who targeted one of his classmates for deportation is no longer enrolled at the school.

Transylvania University spokeswoman Michele Sparks said senior Taylor Ragg left campus following a grievance process performed by school administrators.  Due to federal privacy laws, the school won't say if Mr. Ragg voluntarily left the school or was pushed.  But Ragg's actions brought a lot of unwanted attention to the private Christian university in western Kentucky (in a region that got its name a century before the novel "Dracula" was published, in case you were wondering).

Ragg posted a picture of fellow senior Paola Garcia on his social media account, urging "everyone go report this illegal at my school bragging about breaking the law".  Ms. Garcia is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.  The innovative Obama-era program allows the children of undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States for school and work.  Donald Trump and Congressional Democratic leaders are reportedly reaching a deal to preserve the DACA program.

Earlier this week, Garcia recorded a viral video in which she tearfully detailed the vile, racist harassment she received as a result of Ragg and his so-called "alt right" pals.  "Racists are emboldened today, and he's inciting them to harass me and report me," Garcia said, noting that she has never even met Ragg. 

And it's only a slight relief to learn late in the week that he's left the campus.  "I don't have to walk across the (graduation) stage with him, but I also feel that it isn't over yet," Ms. Garcia said.

The backlash against Ragg grew pretty quickly, and internet sleuths exposed his penchant for wearing Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" hats and his association with a neo-nazi leader.  It was not the kind of publicity that Transylvania University welcomed, considering that the school's president Seamus Carey is one of six Kentucky university presidents who have signed a national letter of support for the DACA program.