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Over 100 universities and colleges in the United States, including Ivy League schools such as Princeton and Brown, released a joint statement on Tuesday denouncing President Donald Trump’s “political interference” in the education sector.
This action follows Harvard University’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, which has threatened funding cuts and increased external political oversight. Trump has aimed to exert pressure on several prestigious universities over accusations they have tolerated anti-Semitism on campus, threatening their financial support, tax-exempt status, and the enrollment of international students.
The letter articulated the commitment of these universities and colleges to function as hubs where “faculty, students, and staff can freely exchange ideas and opinions from all viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”
Trump’s campaign against universities has involved threats to withdraw federal funding in response to policies that promote diversity among students and faculty.
The Republican president has also implemented a broad immigration enforcement strategy that includes foreign students, often revoking their visas with little or no justification.
The White House has publicly rationalised its initiatives against universities as a response to rampant “anti-Semitism” and a wish to dismantle diversity programs that address historical injustices faced by minorities.
The administration argues that protests linked to Israel’s conflict in Gaza that occurred on U.S. college campuses last year were filled with instances of anti-Semitism. Many U.S. universities, including Harvard, responded to these allegations by tightening regulations on protests.
Several elite institutions like Columbia University have yielded to pressure from the Trump administration, which asserts that the higher education sector is excessively liberal.
In Harvard’s case, the White House is demanding unprecedented levels of government influence over the university’s admissions and hiring policies.
However, Harvard has resisted the administration’s requests, leading the Trump administration to order the suspension of $2.2 billion in federal funding for the university last week.
