Alliance of Over 570 College and University Leaders Condemns the Apprehension and Detention of International Students and Calls on the Administration to Respect Constitutional Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2025
Contact: press@presidentsalliance.org

Alliance of Over 570 College and University Leaders Condemns the Apprehension and Detention of International Students and Calls on the Administration to Respect Constitutional Rights 

Washington, D.C. — In light of reports of over 300 international student visas that have been revoked and the recent detentions of noncitizen students and other campus members in the U.S., the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration issued the following statement:

The Presidents’ Alliance is highly alarmed by recent immigration enforcement actions targeting noncitizen students, faculty and staff, condemns the detention of international students, and urgently calls on the Administration to respect their constitutional rights, including the First Amendment’s protection of speech and the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process.

Recent immigration enforcement operations —including apprehending and detaining international students and revoking student visas— appear to lack clear cause or be based on political speech or association and raise serious concerns about fairness, due process, freedom from arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement, and other constitutional protections.  The government’s actions and rhetoric create an atmosphere of fear, threaten academic freedom, chill free expression, and jeopardize the well-being of noncitizen members of our campus communities. 

U.S. colleges and universities are unmatched centers of learning, discovery, and training. We draw students, scholars, and researchers from across the nation and around the world to learn together, advance knowledge, foster innovation, and contribute to economic growth and global security. Our higher education institutions cultivate domestic and global talent essential to U.S. scientific and technological advancement and all sectors of society. International and immigrant students, faculty, and staff on our campuses and in our communities are integral to America’s leadership in STEM, healthcare, business, teaching, innovation, the arts, and the workforce of tomorrow.

We strongly support the right of both citizens and noncitizens, including international students, to engage in peaceful expression. Academic freedom, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of individual expression are foundational values central to the mission of U.S. higher education and our country’s core democratic principles. These commitments are fully consistent with our responsibilities under state and federal laws, including those related to national security. Upholding these principles strengthens—not undermines—our ability to foster the secure, inclusive, and vibrant academic communities that have made our nation a global leader.

We stand with colleges and universities taking proactive steps to support their communities—citizen and noncitizen alike—and to prepare for the challenges posed by these deeply disturbing immigration enforcement actions. The Presidents’ Alliance is prepared to assist institutions with guidance and resources.