Rutgers Senate Suggests Big Ten Alliance to Shield Campuses from Trump’s Attacks

The Rutgers University Senate recently adopted a resolution in reaction to the Trump administration’s suppression of First Amendment freedoms, which a professor heralded on Sunday as a perfect example for higher education. This resolution was passed amid vocal protests against other universities yielding to the political pressures from the White House.

“The public is desperate for leadership from any quarter,” explained Michael Yarbrough, a law and society professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “Higher education can lead the way and spark broader change. This is a crucial reminder of our core mission, which we must urgently reaffirm.”

This leadership initiative involves a resolution to create a “mutual defense compact” among members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, including Rutgers. This pact would entail the allocation of substantial funds to a collective defense pool, offering “immediate and strategic support to any member institution facing direct political or legal challenges.”

The Rutgers Senate, comprising faculty, students, staff, and alumni, has urged the university president to spearhead a meeting with Big Ten academic and legal leaders to begin implementing the compact.

The resolution, adopted on March 28, followed a lawsuit filed by the Rutgers faculty union against the Trump administration. The legal action aimed to thwart efforts to detain and deport international students who supported Palestinian rights, criticized Israel’s military actions endorsed by the U.S. in Gaza and the West Bank, or participated in pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations over the preceding year.

Recent executive orders by Trump to combat “antisemitism” and deport those “espousing hateful ideology” have led to the detention of individuals including Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student from Columbia University; Rumeysa Ozturk, a Ph.D. candidate at Tufts University; and Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University scholar, all involved in actions critical of U.S. policy toward Israel.

“We’ve been striving to overcome this challenge of collective action. This initiative seems like a major positive stride forward.”

“The First Amendment clearly prohibits the government from arresting, detaining, or deporting individuals for lawful political expression,” stated Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute, representing the Rutgers union and other academic groups in the lawsuit. “Such practices are reminiscent of the most oppressive regimes and are entirely out of place in a democratic society.”

The Rutgers resolution calls for the participating schools to provide, upon request, their legal, governance, and public relations expertise to mount a coordinated and robust defense.

This could include legal defense, countersuits, filing amicus briefs, engaging in legislative advocacy, and building coalitions, as detailed in the resolution.

“Solving this issue of collective action has been a puzzle for all of us,” noted Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a professor at the University of Minnesota, another Big Ten institution. “This appears to be a significant, positive step in the right direction.”

A Rutgers Senate member, preferring anonymity, told Common Dreams that the university community felt “relief” and “joy” upon learning of the Senate’s proactive stance against the administration’s encroachments on academic freedom.

“It’s heartening to have something concrete to rally around,” the member commented, having been instrumental in advancing the resolution. “Those of us connected to higher education are looking to leadership from prominent universities to defend against these attacks.”

According to the member, the existential threat posed by Trump’s actions is palpable across campuses like Rutgers. “I’m proud to be part of the Rutgers faculty today,” declared Michal Raucher, a Jewish studies professor at Rutgers—New Brunswick, in light of the resolution’s passage.

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, who chairs the joint program in English and education at the University of Michigan, also a Big Ten school, praised the Rutgers Senate’s leadership. “I deeply respect our Rutgers counterparts for their acts of solidarity during the recent campus strikes. My respect for them has grown immensely.”

Last May, nearly 100 Rutgers faculty members were ready to form a human shield around a Palestinian solidarity camp on campus as the administration’s ultimatum loomed, threatening arrests.

“Our community’s diversity is something we treasure,” the Senate member added. “It enriches us, bringing a multitude of perspectives to our discussions on various issues.”

“As the primary public university and major land grant institution in the state, we take our responsibility to the people of New Jersey and to public higher education very seriously,” they continued. “We recognize these attacks for what they truly are.”

In stark contrast, Columbia University has faced severe criticism from advocates of First Amendment rights for complying with the Trump administration’s demands, following threats to withdraw $400 million in federal grants and contracts over alleged inaction regarding harassment of Jewish students.

In response, Columbia allowed NYPD officers to forcibly remove and arrest students during pro-Palestinian protests last year, also taking steps such as suspensions, expulsions, and increased campus security.

The Rutgers Senate chair plans to meet with university president Jonathan Holloway, who will be stepping down in June, to encourage him to endorse the resolution.

“This is his chance to become a legendary figure in academia by taking a firm stand and rallying his peers,” the Senate member suggested.

Yarbrough emphasized that the crackdown and some institutions’ compliance demonstrate the crucial role of education in a functioning democracy. “We should embody democratic values,” he said. “And in times like these, the importance of that is starkly apparent.”

While some university leaders may yield to political pressures, Yarbrough noted, “the real university community—faculty, staff, and students—are actively resisting. This is reflective of the broader U.S. situation where most officials aren’t resisting as we’d hope, but grassroots movements are genuinely pushing back.”

“That’s what’s necessary to counteract these types of authoritarian threats,” Yarbrough concluded. “It all comes down to the people.”

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include further remarks from Michael Yarbrough and a Rutgers Senate member.