Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Swarthmore College suspends students involved in pro-Palestinian protest — On May 2, 2025, Swarthmore College issued interim suspensions to nine students involved in a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus. The suspensions, which affect eight current and one former student, were enacted without due process, banning them from campus and requiring a student-conduct process for reinstatement. The college cited violations of the student code of conduct and failure to disperse as reasons for the suspensions. The disciplinary action has raised concerns about the impact on students' academic and social activities.

Supporting reports

• Yale University revokes recognition of student group protesting Israeli minister — Yale University has revoked the recognition of a student group that organized a protest against a talk by Israel's far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The protest involved pitching tents on campus, which the university deemed unacceptable. This action is part of a broader trend of universities taking measures against pro-Palestinian discourse, which some view as a suppression of legitimate political speech.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration targets universities over pro-Palestinian protests — In March 2025, the Trump administration listed Swarthmore College among 60 schools at risk of losing federal funding for allowing what it deemed antisemitic harassment on campus. This move is part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at universities, with institutions like Columbia and Harvard facing severe financial penalties despite taking disciplinary actions against student protesters. The administration's actions have led to increased surveillance and disciplinary measures against students, particularly targeting Palestinian, Arab Muslim, and students of color, raising concerns about free speech and academic freedom.
• Universities penalize students for pro-Palestinian protests — Universities across the United States, including Swarthmore College, Columbia, and Harvard, have been penalizing students for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. Disciplinary actions include suspensions, expulsions, and revocation of diplomas, often accompanied by increased surveillance. These measures disproportionately affect Palestinian, Arab Muslim, and students of color, leading to financial and academic hardships. Despite these actions, the federal government has still imposed financial penalties on these institutions, exacerbating tensions and raising concerns about the suppression of free speech on campuses.

Supporting reports

• Columbia University agrees to overhaul protest policies and hire internal security force following Trump administration pressure — Columbia University agreed to overhaul its protest policies and hire an internal security force of 36 "special officers" empowered to remove people from campus after the Trump administration revoked $400 million in federal funding. The action represents institutional capitulation to administration pressure to suppress campus protests and pro-Palestinian activism, with faculty viewing it as a dangerous threat to academic freedom.
• University of Michigan closes flagship DEI program under Trump administration pressure — The University of Michigan announced the closure of its flagship diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program and corresponding office, citing Trump administration anti-DEI executive orders and threats to eliminate federal funding for institutions maintaining such programs. The program, launched in 2016, had demonstrably increased first-generation and Pell-eligible undergraduate enrollment. The university also terminated its office for health equity and inclusion and discontinued its "DEI 2.0 strategic plan." University leadership stated the decision was made under pressure from federal enforcement actions.

Supporting reports

• ICE detention of Georgetown scholar Dr. Badar Khan Suri on visa revocation and social media posts — Immigration authorities detained Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a senior postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University's Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, on March 17, 2025. Officials revoked his J-1 visa, citing alleged family connections to Hamas advisers and his social media posts supporting Palestine. He is held at an immigration prison in Alvarado, Texas, with a hearing scheduled for May 6. Georgetown officials stated they received no explanation for the detention. Over 370 alumni and 65 current students signed a letter opposing the detention as a violation of academic freedom and due process.
• Immigration agents detained Georgetown researcher — Masked immigration agents detained Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral researcher, saying his student visa was revoked. DHS accused Suri, who has not been charged with a crime, of "spreading Hamas propaganda" and having "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist."

Supporting reports

• DHS revokes student visas and conducts searches — Following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the student visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia PhD student, leading to her self-deportation on March 11, 2025. Additionally, DHS presented warrants and searched the dorm rooms of two students on March 13, 2025. These actions have heightened fears among international students at Columbia University, who feel they are being targeted for their political views and are concerned about their safety and visa status.
• Homeland Security searches Columbia University students' rooms — On Thursday night, agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted searches in two Columbia University students' rooms. The searches were authorized by judicial search warrants signed by a federal magistrate judge. No arrests were made, and no items were removed during the searches. The university's public safety team was present throughout the operation. This action is part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown on American universities, particularly in response to student protests at Columbia over Israel's military actions in Gaza.
• ICE obtained search warrant for Columbia University dorm rooms using false pretenses to arrest pro-Palestinian activist students — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a search warrant application on March 13, 2025, claiming to investigate Columbia University for "harboring aliens," but attorneys argue the warrant was a pretext to arrest and deport two students—Yunseo Chung (a green card holder) and Ranjani Srinivasan (on a student visa)—for their pro-Palestinian activism. A federal judge granted the warrant; agents subsequently searched two dorm residences. Chung sued to block her deportation, claiming the warrant was obtained under false pretenses. She has since been granted temporary protection from deportation.
• DHS revokes visa of Columbia University student — DHS announced that a Columbia University student from India had her visa revoked and was subsequently self-deported. The agency claimed, without evidence, that she was involved in activities supporting Hamas.

Supporting reports

• Swarthmore College places student on probation for protest participation — UT, a Muslim woman of color and Swarthmore College senior, was placed on probation until graduation on 6 March 2025 for violating the college's code of conduct during pro-Palestinian rallies between October 2023 and March 2024. The college provided evidence including CCTV footage of UT walking on a campus path. UT reported that surveillance disproportionately targeted students of color and first-generation, low-income students, with few white students charged.
• Swarthmore College suspends student for Palestine protest disruption — EK, a final-semester senior at Swarthmore College, was suspended for one semester in March 2025 for disrupting the college's trustees' dinner in December 2023 using a bullhorn to demand divestment from products fueling Israel's war on Gaza. A disciplinary panel found her responsible for assault and other code of conduct violations. As a first-generation, low-income student on financial aid, EK lost her school job and campus housing during the suspension, though the college later agreed to pay for off-campus housing. She remains barred from on-campus events and graduation ceremonies.

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens to halt federal funding for universities — On Truth Social, President Trump threatened to halt federal funding to colleges and universities that allow "illegal protests." He also called for the expulsion and arrest of student "agitators," raising concerns about academic freedom and free speech on campuses.

Supporting reports

• DHS rescinded guidance limiting immigration enforcement in schools and protected areas — On January 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced rescission of prior guidance that had designated schools as "protected areas" where certain immigration enforcement actions were restricted. The rescission did not explicitly authorize agents to enter schools but communicated that schools were no longer treated as uniquely buffered spaces under federal guidance, altering the legal and practical environment for immigration enforcement near educational facilities.
• Trump administration overturns sensitive areas policy — The Trump administration has overturned longstanding policies that restricted immigration enforcement in "sensitive areas" such as schools, churches, and hospitals. This change allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection to arrest migrants in these locations. The Department of Homeland Security announced the policy shift, emphasizing a crackdown on immigration. This move is part of a broader set of executive actions aimed at increasing deportations and cooperation between ICE and local governments.
• Department of Homeland Security removes guidance limiting immigration enforcement near sensitive locations — The Department of Homeland Security removed previous guidance that had limited enforcement actions near churches, schools, and hospitals. Immigration enforcement operations now occur at houses of worship and other sensitive locations. Over 620,000 deportations have occurred since January 2025 under this enforcement posture.
• DHS scraps guidance limiting immigration arrests near sensitive locations — The Department of Homeland Security removed previous guidance that limited immigration enforcement actions near sensitive locations such as churches, schools, and hospitals. This policy change has led to increased deportations and raised concerns about the impact on vulnerable communities and the sanctity of sensitive locations.
• ICE enforcement surge in Lake Worth Beach following Trump's January 2025 inauguration — Following Trump's January 2025 inauguration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensified operations in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, a city of 45,000 located 10 miles from Mar-a-Lago. ICE agents began patrolling streets, raiding grocery stores, churches, and schools, and coordinating with local police for arrests. According to the Guatemalan-Maya Center director, approximately 70% of center users attending immigration check-ins or court dates have been deported, detained, or given ankle bracelets with 90-day self-deportation orders. The crackdown has created widespread fear, isolation, and documented mental-health crises within the migrant community.
• Trump issues immigration executive orders — On his first day in office, Donald Trump issued several executive orders targeting immigration. These include a national emergency declaration to deploy the military to the US-Mexico border, an attempt to end birthright citizenship, and the rescission of a taskforce aimed at reuniting families separated at the border. The orders have been described as chaotic and difficult to enforce, with many expected to face legal challenges. The actions have incited panic and confusion among immigrants and their advocates.
• DoJ orders prosecution of officials resisting immigration crackdown — The U.S. Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has issued a directive to federal prosecutors to target state and local officials who resist the administration's mass deportation campaign. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed prosecutors to investigate and potentially bring criminal charges against officials in "sanctuary" jurisdictions for harboring undocumented immigrants or withholding immigration information. This directive is part of a broader immigration crackdown, including executive orders to mobilize federal agencies for enforcement and challenge local laws blocking Trump's immigration agenda.