Legality, Next Steps for Canadian Tariffs

Feb 14, 2025

1 min

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University Professor Julian Ku was quoted in The Globe and Mail article “The best hope for Canada in fighting a trade war with Trump may lie in U.S. courts."

“Using IEEPA to impose tariffs has not been done before, so there has never been a court ruling on this question,” said Julian Ku, who studies the interaction of international law and U.S. constitutional law at Hofstra University.

Mr. Trump has, however, argued that he is responding to external threats, citing the movement of fentanyl and illegal migrants to the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and China. That is likely to prove a potent defense, Prof. Ku said.

“The court has also been deferential to the President on national-security matters, and the language of the statute is very broad, so it is far from clear which way the court would come down on this issue,” he said.

Connect with:

Julian Ku

Professor of Law and Interim Dean

The Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor in Constitutional Law and Professor of Law.

International LawInternational Law in U.S. CourtsConstitutional LawCorporate LawTrans Pacific Partnership

Find Experts

Oct 15, 2026

1 min

People Likely to Turn to Influencers for Fitness and Nutrition Information

Martine Hackett, associate professor and chair of population health, spoke with Newsday about health and wellness advice disseminated by social media influencers. People looking to make a lifestyle change are likely to look at posts by influencers. Dr. Martine Hackett, chair of the population health department at Hofstra University, said posts from these influencers can be helpful to people looking for detailed wellness information that they might not be able to get at a routine office visit with their doctor. “You can go for your annual health checkup, but if you are younger and don’t have a chronic disease, you might be told to exercise, but they don’t have the time to tell you how,” she said. “And you may not be able to go to a nutritionist or a trainer.”

Oct 7, 2026

1 min

Auction of LI’s Oheka Castle Draws Bidders with Big Dreams

Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, spoke to Newsday about the auction of Long Island’s Oheka Castle, which will take place later this month in Manhattan. The property has been called “a real-life Gatsby estate” and “one of the rarest trophy properties in the country.” Buyers could include hedge funds interested in developing condos, a boutique hotel chain or a catering company. “It would be broadly appealing once the economic backdrop improves in terms of being able to borrow to finance construction and purchasing,” Levy said.

Oct 1, 2026

1 min

Nor’easter Caused Widespread Damage, Worsened Beach Erosion

Following a rare September nor’easter, Dr. Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, talked to Newsday about the damage caused by the storm, including its effects on beach erosion. The slow-moving storm, which began overnight on Friday, September 25, and continued through Monday, September 28, resulted in local flooding, power outages, and thousands of downed trees. “It is unusual but not quite unprecedented for a nor’easter to linger for so long,” said Dr. Bernhardt. “It is possible that the time of year played a role, as the ‘blocking’ pattern that allowed this storm to linger for so long would be more likely to occur at this time of year versus during the winter, when nor’easters are more common.”