US: Over 400 University Leaders Condemn Trump Administration’s Attack on Academia Amid Pro-Palestine Crackdown

Washington (Quds News Network)- More than 400 university leaders signed a statement last week opposing what they viewed as the Trump administration’s attack on academia, in response to a crackdown on pro-Palestine activism.

“We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” the statement said.

“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding,” the statement added.

“Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation.”

The group statement grew out of discussions among presidents and other academic leaders, and an urgent concern among many of them that leaders were not speaking out against the White House, said Lynn C. Pasquerella, who heads the group that wrote the statement.

“We decided to see whether there was a will for collective action,” she said.

Dr. Pasquerella, a former president of Mount Holyoke College, added that many leaders were getting pressure from their campuses to say something.

Tensions have been rising for months between elite universities and the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to “reclaim” institutions he claims are dominated by “radical ideology” after it allowed anti-genocide protests on campus.

The administration framed its actions as part of a push against antisemitism following nationwide protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Harvard University became the first school to sue the government over threats to its funding should it not comply with a set of extreme demands to combat alleged antisemitism. Harvard is one of several institutions hit in recent weeks with huge funding cuts and demands they relinquish significant institutional autonomy.

The administration has accused universities like Harvard of fostering environments that tolerate antisemitism, particularly in the wake of pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide protests on campuses. Critics argue that the administration’s actions threaten the independence of higher education and could undermine the foundational principles of academic freedom and free inquiry in the United States.

While some university leaders have in recent weeks criticised the administration and indicated they will not abide by its demands, the statement marks the first time presidents have spoken out collectively on the matter.

Another statement, signed by more than 100 former university heads, called for a coalition of local leaders, students, labor unions and communities, across party affiliation, to “work against authoritarianism”.

Eighty-six institutions and associations also submitted amicus briefs in a legal action brought by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a case challenging the administration’s revocation of visas and detentions of noncitizen students and scholars.