President Donald Trump, in a brazen attack on yet another element of the First Amendment, has threatened funding cuts to any college, school or university allowing “illegal protests” to take place on their campus.
“All federal funding will STOP for any College, School or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS!”
According to Reuters, no administration official has clarified what Trump means by “illegal protest.” Leaving this term vague and ambiguous gives authorities a dangerous level of power to decide what is and is not illegal.
This situation further escalated with the arrest of two students from Columbia University who participated in the student protests of the war in Gaza in April of 2024.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student from Columbia and one of the prominent organizers of the Columbia encampment protest. The State Department has ordered ICE to revoke Khalil’s student visa.
A second student from Columbia, Leqaa Kordia, was also arrested in connection with the encampment protest. Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was previously arrested in 2024 for participation in the protest. Less is known about the circumstances surrounding Kordia’s arrest, but the Department of Homeland Security alleges Kordia overstayed on an expired visa, which was terminated in 2022.
These arrests are a physical manifestation of this dangerous policy implemented by the Trump administration. While this policy has little legal standing — the right to freedom of assembly is guaranteed by the First Amendment — the policy is a dangerous overreach to squash political opposition.
Regardless of stance, view, political ideology or party affiliation, the First Amendment protects the rights of all citizens participating in protest from government retribution. Threatening to expel or deport protestors who do not follow the party line touted by the Trump administration sets a dangerous precedent.
Tying this policy to funding for public universities, who already fear funding cuts due to the downsizing of the Department of Education, is deplorable. Students should not be expelled, imprisoned or deported for exercising their constitutional right to assemble and protest. If the U.S. allows this to occur, it will have taken one huge step in the direction of tyranny.
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