As students in the United States, we are increasingly concerned with the erosion of free speech and the growing dismissal of intellectual pursuits in our country. Educational institutions like Harvard are facing funding cuts unless they conform to policies imposed on them by the Trump administration, while students exercising their right to free speech are experiencing harassment by both university authorities and the police, and are being violently evicted from university campuses. Meanwhile, international students in the United States face an uncertain future. Many are forcefully deported, while others are denied entry. Not only does the United States appear to be hurtling toward an era of wastefulness and undemocratic practices, but it is also losing its intellectual edge due to human capital flight.
The Trump administration’s motives and moves have never been discreet. From banning books to attacking DEI initiatives to bullying universities, the rise of anti-intellectual policy in America is attacking democracy and constitutional values of free speech and free expression. With almost 2500 National Institute of Health (NIH) grants delayed or cancelled, there is an apparent dismantling of American research that now faces a bleak future.
Moreover, these political actions are blatantly discriminatory and rooted in racism and xenophobia. The majority of books banned from school libraries are written by authors of color, women, or LGBTQ+ authors. The grants and programs, including those funded by NIH, that have been purged address previously understudied and underserved people, such as health disparities in Black and LGBTQ+ communities. The assertion that DEI discriminates against people is nothing more than gaslighting.
Higher education is meant to be the cradle of public thought and innovation. When universities and academics are targeted, they are unable to provide the societal benefits inherent in their work. The NIH funding that Trump has cut for research doesn’t just destroy “un-American” or DEI projects, but also research on cancer cures, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s, pandemic responses, malaria, and more.
The United States is renowned for its higher education programs, which are the envy of the world and a significant contributor to the U.S.’s global influence, economy, and innovation. But as the Trump administration attempts to bar international students from attending Harvard — a tactic that will surely be tried on other campuses — there is no doubt that students and researchers will no longer feel that the United States values their contributions. The U.S. risks losing its global talent pool, which it is known for, especially as countries like the Netherlands, France, and Canada are enticing American researchers to leave the U.S. with more secure positions and funding.
Defunding research is not the only impact that the Trump administration has had on higher education. The Trump administration has targeted the freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly, making university campuses unsafe for students. Many who have spoken against Trump’s policies now face legal consequences, and U.S. residents like Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Oztürk have been arrested and detained without legal justification and due process. As is typical in authoritarian regimes, students are now afraid to share their voices.
While the American government continues to pledge its support to the Israeli Defense Forces with weapons, numerous people in the U.S. — and around the world — see the horrific and disproportionate human costs, and they are protesting against it, as is their constitutional and moral right. However, as students protest against American support for the genocide of Palestinians, the government has criminalized protests to try to silence them. To clamp down on dissent, the government has weaponized immigration and targeted non-citizens, whether they have a valid visa, green card, or not, striking fear into immigrant and student communities alike.
In doing so, the government is leveraging fear as a tool against all people in America. By stoking the flames of xenophobia and claiming that non-U.S. citizens are a danger to society, the Trump administration has justified silencing dissenting voices across the country. Students who have made no comment on Israel or Palestine have lost funding for research, and others who have spoken out against American involvement in Gaza are being directly targeted, against their First Amendment rights.
Once again, the Trump administration is pushing the limits of democracy. To promote his ever-growing authoritarian aims, Trump is testing the law to see what he can get away with.
As American freedoms diminish, talent will go elsewhere. There is a real risk that the resources required for positive change, not just money but also talent, will be wasted. Criminalizing protest and attacking higher education will only serve to show the world that the United States of America is a danger to human rights and a place where knowledge and the truth are no longer seen as necessary.
As students, we stand in solidarity with protesters, students, and researchers who demand academic and political freedom for all. We expect the broader public in America to do the same – for all our futures.
References
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/04/health/trump-cuts-nih-grants-research.html
https://www.vox.com/education/414467/trump-harvard-international-students-higher-education
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/06/us/trump-crackdown-university-protests-student-activism-hnk
Image credit: “Harvard Free Palestine Camp 25” by Dariusz Jemielniak, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
