Trump! Stop the Attacks on our Students!

As a union of educators, we are deeply alarmed by recent actions targeting international students, many of them Palestinian or pro-Palestinian student protesters. The revocation of student visas—particularly in Illinois institutions like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and others—represents a serious breach of academic freedom, due process, and students’ rights to peaceful protest.

Rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, characterizing student protesters as "terrorist sympathizers," has contributed to a climate of fear and xenophobia on campuses. Our union stands in firm opposition to the weaponization of immigration policy against our students. We reject the notion that political dissent should be met with deportation.

We call on community colleges, universities, and lawmakers to uphold student protections, ensure transparency, and defend the educational mission from political overreach. Academic freedom, for EVERYONE at our campuses, must remain a cornerstone of higher education.