FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[email protected]
March 4, 2025
Washington, D.C. | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) condemns President Donald Trump’s latest threats to terminate federal funding for colleges and universities that permit student protests—a move that is an egregious and unconstitutional attempt to suppress political expression and dissent on campus. Not only does this threat violate the First Amendment rights of students, but also puts schools in the untenable position of being forced to censor protected speech or face financial ruin. This development signals a troubling rollback of our hard-fought rights and should alarm all Americans.
“Efforts to weaponize federal funding as a tool to chill academic freedom and silence student activism are deeply troubling,” said Abed Ayoub, ADC National Executive Director. “These attempts serve to intimidate campuses into becoming agents of government censorship. Every student has the right to advocate for the causes they believe in, free from fear of punishment or surveillance.”
Our Constitution does not permit the federal government to condition academic funding on the suppression of political activism or campus discourse—actions that lie at the very heart of the First Amendment. Threats of withholding funds from public universities to coerce institutions into banning protests would effectively require them to violate their students’ First Amendment rights. Public institutions, in particular, cannot be compelled to restrict lawful demonstrations without running afoul of established constitutional protections.
ADC remains firmly committed to defending the rights of students to organize and engage in peaceful protest. This includes standing against renewed efforts—by the Trump administration and allied organizations—to brand support for Palestinian rights as ‘illegal’ or ‘antisemitic’ and to punish those who take a critical view of Israel’s policies. As with the administration’s prior executive orders targeting pro-Palestinian activism, Trump’s statements reveal a broader campaign to curtail constitutionally protected speech, especially when it challenges official narratives on foreign policy.
ADC stands ready to assist students facing harassment, retaliation, or legal threats for their activism. We call on all educational institutions to reject these unconstitutional pressures and to vigorously safeguard the First Amendment rights of the campus community.
For legal support, call the ADC Legal Hotline at 202.244.2990.
Email your inquiries to [email protected].
About ADC
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S., founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk. ADC’s mission is to defend and promote the human rights, civil rights, and liberties of at least 3.7 million Arab Americans residing in the United States. Through its work, ADC fights discrimination in the U.S., enhances public understanding of Arab history and culture, and partners with marginalized communities globally to advance social justice.