Campus Radicals: Dems target VMI, Chicago teachers protest, anti-ICE nurse fired
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This week in Fox News Digital’s Campus Radicals investigative series, a historic military institute was dragged into an unexpected war, teachers in Chicago caused a lot of turmoil, and a nurse at a teaching hospital was fired after going viral for the wrong reasons.
Virginia Democrats outraged for threatening historic military college VMI with funding threat over DEI concerns
Virginia Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives introduced a resolution Tuesday that would create a task force to investigate the Virginia Military Institute and determine whether the historic military school should continue to receive funding.
The move is the latest effort by Virginia Democrats to revive the state’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy after most DEI mandates and policies were rescinded following the 2024 election of President Donald Trump.
“This is taking VMI away, taking it away from its mission,” Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., told Fox News Digital. “I think this is detrimental to the State of Virginia, detrimental to VMI as an institution, detrimental to all the incredible military leaders and community leaders who come out of VMI.”
“It’s reprehensible that they even went down this path,” Wittman added. “But that seems to be what’s happening in Richmond.”
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Corps. Cadets from Virginia Military Institute (VMI) march during the inauguration of Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, U.S., on Saturday, January 17, 2026 (not pictured). (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
VMI students oppose Virginia Democrats’ threat to military institute
Regimental S3 captain cadets Michael Ferrara and regimental commander Devin Auzenne sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss VMI’s core values and dispute some of the allegations that have led Virginia Democrats to threaten the institution.
“I would say there is some confusion on the students’ side,” Ferrara said. “One of the bills questions VMI’s contribution to the nation of the state and that this school produces nothing but prestigious men and women ready to serve the country.”
“We had about 300 generals and flag officers come from the Virginia Military Institute,” Ferrara added. “We have seven Medal of Honor recipients, 11 Rhodes Scholars and one Nobel Prize winner.”
Ferrara graduated from VMI this spring and was assigned to the U.S. Air Force as a development engineer. He told Fox he attended VMI because he wanted to serve the country.
Chicago teacher placed on leave after Facebook post supporting ICE sparks outrage from activists
The Chicago-area teacher is on administrative leave and faces calls to lose her job over a Facebook post last week offering support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“GO ICE,” a teacher at Gary Elementary School in West Chicago posted on Facebook last week. Shortly after the post was made, activists in the predominantly Hispanic community quickly began sharing the post and calling for action against the teacher, who Fox News Digital is not naming by name due to safety concerns.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to conduct immigration enforcement operations Thursday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Madison Thorn/Anatolia via Getty Images)
“Imagine working as a teacher at an elementary school in West Chicago, where the Latino community is heavy and encourages ICE, sick AF,” she said in a social media post.
Another commenter called the teacher a “fucking asshole.”
Chicago Teachers Union sparks backlash with video harassing Target employees via ICE as test scores plummet
Members of the Chicago Teachers Union filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and anti-DEI measures at a local Target on Friday; This led to criticism both online and from experts who spoke to Fox News Digital.
In a video released by the union on Tuesday, members can be seen entering a Chicago-area Target holding anti-ICE signs, harassing employees and demanding answers about whether Target will “protect” its employees from ICE.
A teacher attends a Chicago Teachers Union strike rally in downtown Chicago, United States, on October 17, 2019. Thousands of teachers and supporters rallied Thursday after the Chicago Teachers Union failed to reach a deal with the city government to increase teacher pay. (Photo: Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/via Getty Images) (Photo: Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty)
“As a privately held business, Target has a choice,” the post said. “They could exercise their Fourth Amendment rights and post signs demanding an ICE show permit to enter their buildings. Instead, they allowed harm to be done to their employees and customers while continuing to roll back DEI commitments and bow to pressure from the Trump administration.”
Anti-ICE nurse at VCU fired after citing paralyzing drug in video instructing ICE agents to ‘sabotage’
A nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health was fired after creating a series of videos suggesting ways to harm ICE agents.
“Following an investigation, the individual featured in the social media videos is no longer employed at VCU Health,” the hospital said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday night. he said. “In addition, VCU Health has complied with reporting requirements under Virginia state law.”
On Tuesday morning, the hospital said it and VCU Police were investigating the nurse for the posts after they went viral on X.
“We prioritize the health and safety of everyone who comes to us for care. We are aware of a series of videos that appear to have been posted by an individual confirmed to be an employee of our healthcare system,” VCU said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said. “The content of the videos is deeply inappropriate and does not reflect the integrity or values of our healthcare system.”
A January 14, 2025 TikTok video of a Virginia Commonwealth University nurse went viral after it was posted on X by LibsOfTikTok. (Credit: @mindarosa8/TikTok)
In a video simply titled “#ice #resistance #sabotage,” the nurse instructed others to use “sabotage tactics” against opponents.
“I thought of something good,” he said.
“Sabotage tactic, or at least scare tactic. All paramedics, take syringes with needles on them,” he said. “Fill them with saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever. That’ll probably act as a deterrent. Be safe.”
Succinylcholine is an anesthetic that causes rapid, short-acting muscle paralysis. The paralyzing effect typically lasts four to six minutes.
Medical watchdog slams VCU after nurse fired for recommending DUI agents over viral anti-ICE TikTok video
“As we document in Do No Harm, VCU has a long history of pushing extreme identity politics into medical education and clinical care,” Do No Harm Executive Director Kristina Rasmussen told Fox News Digital. “They are now surprised when radicalism sprouts from a ground seeded with poisonous ideology.”
The group represents medical professionals and students, as well as patients and policymakers fighting to keep identity politics out of medical education, research and clinical practice. Do No Harm often opposes DEI initiatives and youth-focused gender ideology in medicine.
“When medical schools and hospitals allow radical politics to shape the curriculum, they produce harmful activists rather than competent medical professionals,” Rasmussen continued. “VCU Health firing this nurse is the bare minimum. If they don’t clean up their act, how will any patient feel safe walking through their doors?”
St. St. John’s student government denies Turning Point chapter official club status for second time
The student government of a Catholic school in Queens, New York, denied classmates the opportunity to start a Turning Point USA chapter on campus last November.
People hold signs reading “This is Our Turning Point” during a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., September 21, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
St. Student leaders at St. John’s University rejected TPUSA’s application to be officially recognized as a club, following initial approval by a school spokesperson confirmed Wednesday morning. The first one was in 2021.
“At St. John’s University, Student Government, Inc. (SGI) has the sole authority to approve or deny new student organizations,” Brian Browne told Fox News Digital. “The four-step Organizing Power process aims to introduce or revitalize clubs/organizations to the St. John Campus.”
Only four of the 19 proposed organizations in the fall term were approved by SGI, he said.
“St. John students interested in Turning Point USA are encouraged to re-apply to SGI in the Spring or pursue other available alternatives for department-sponsored institutional support,” he said.
University of Minnesota student groups team up with far-left radicals to lead anti-ICE ‘national shutdown’
Several student groups at the University of Minnesota are leading what they call a “National Shutdown” to protest federal immigration enforcement, and are joined by far-left radicals from across the country.
The university’s Black Student Union posted on its Instagram page directing others to a webpage called Nationalshutdown.us where they could support the day of action. Protesters are refusing to go to work or school on Friday and have vowed not to shop.
Federal agents deal with agitators outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 14, 2026. (Jamie Vera/Fox News)
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“The only way we can get justice for Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and the countless people killed by ICE is for the shutdown to be enforced on a national scale,” the Instagram post reads. “NO WORK. NO SCHOOL. NO SHOPPING. VOTE NO TO THE ICE FUND.”
The Black Student Union is at the top of the list of supporters of the day of action, along with the school’s Somali Student Union, Ethiopian Student Union and Liberian Student Union. The University of Minnesota Graduate Labor Union also endorsed the event.
