Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Democratic lawmakers call for release of Tufts student detained by ICE — U.S. Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley, all from Massachusetts, published an essay in the New York Times calling for the immediate release of Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk from ICE detention in Louisiana. The lawmakers documented poor detention conditions—inadequate food, extreme cold, denied religious accommodations, and withheld asthma medication—and characterized her detention as political repression targeting her for critical speech about Israel-Palestine, not immigration violations. They also highlighted similar treatment of Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, arrested without a warrant, and warned of broader unconstitutional enforcement patterns under the Trump administration.

Supporting reports

• Over 150 university presidents sign joint statement opposing Trump administration's higher education policies — More than 150 presidents of U.S. colleges and universities, including leaders from Harvard, Princeton, and Brown, signed a statement published by the American Association of Colleges and Universities denouncing the Trump administration's "unprecedented government overreach and political interference" in higher education. The statement opposes what signatories describe as "undue government intrusion" while claiming openness to legitimate oversight. The action follows weeks of administration measures including funding freezes, threats to tax-exempt status, and demands for institutional autonomy relinquishment.

Supporting reports

• Congressional delegation visits ICE detention facilities; lawmakers denounce detention of student activists — A bipartisan congressional delegation led by Rep. Troy Carter visited two ICE processing centers in Louisiana on April 22, 2025, to inspect conditions and meet with Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk, graduate students detained for pro-Palestinian activism. The lawmakers denounced their detention as unconstitutional, describing it as political imprisonment and a "national disgrace." Neither detainee has been accused of criminal conduct. The delegation included Reps. Bennie Thompson, Ayanna Pressley, Jim McGovern, Senator Ed Markey, and ACLU officials.

Supporting reports

• Palestinian green-card holder detained during naturalization interview — Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia student, was detained by immigration authorities while attending a naturalization interview on April 21, 2025. Senator Peter Welch of Vermont met with Mahdawi following his detention, indicating congressional concern over the arrest.