The future of a University of South Florida organization that supports justice for Palestinian people remains uncertain.
The group, Students for Justice in Palestine, recently came into the national spotlight after a letter from Florida officials on Oct. 24 directed public universities to disband chapters on their campuses.
USF officials have said they are reviewing the letter but they have not provided any updates on what action the school will take.
USF's student body president says the student government wants to make sure students are safe and their First Amendment rights are protected.
READ MORE: A 'Tampa 5' protester and member of a USF student group speaks at a national march for Palestine
“We are in communication with (the) administration," said Cesar Esmeraldi. "Also, I know they're in communication with the chancellor and their administration as well to fully understand what the letter means and what the implications could be."
State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues sent the letter to university presidents at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
It does not give schools a deadline to act — but it does say school officials could face penalties, including suspension, if the order is not followed.
More than 5,000 international students from more than 145 countries attend USF, according to the university's website.
Esmeraldi, who is from Brazil, said he hasn't personally seen any antisemitism, Islamophobia, or pro-Hamas speech on the Tampa campus, but he wants an "open-door policy" where students can feel free to bring any issues or concerns to him or the student government.
"I think that a lot of times, (even though students) are from a specific region or country, the fact that their countries are in conflict doesn't represent what they feel," Esmeraldi said. "Of course, they feel impacted by it and that's where we need to come in and protect our students."
