Oregon, Washington schools join statement against ‘overreach' by Trump administration
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – More than 200 colleges and universities are speaking out against 'government overreach and political interference' under the Trump administration, including a handful of schools in the Pacific Northwest.
The statement was issued April 22 by the American Association of Colleges and Universities in response to 'ongoing actions by the Trump administration affecting higher education.'
'As leaders of America's colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,' the letter states.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez booed during town hall in Vancouver
'We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses. We will always seek effective and fair financial practices, but we must reject the coercive use of public research funding,' the statement continues.
'America's system of higher learning is as varied as the goals and dreams of the students it serves. It includes research universities and community colleges; comprehensive universities and liberal arts colleges; public institutions and private ones; freestanding and multi-site campuses. Some institutions are designed for all students, and others are dedicated to serving particular groups. Yet, American institutions of higher learning have in common the essential freedom to determine, on academic grounds, whom to admit and what is taught, how, and by whom. Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation,' AAC&U wrote.
'The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society. On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic,' the statement concludes.
Travel + Leisure names Oregon coast hotel among best in the world
As of April 25, the letter was joined by dozens of schools in the Pacific Northwest, including University of Oregon, University of Washington, Portland State University, University of Portland, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, Willamette University, Gonzaga University and Linfield University.
KOIN 6 News reached out to Oregon State University and Washington State University asking if they planned to join the statement. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
AAC&U's website notes they are still allowing other institutions to join the letter.
The letter comes as the Trump administration has moved to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education, eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in schools, cut funding for Harvard and .
KOIN 6 News has also reached out to the U.S. Department of Education. This story will be updated if we receive a response.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
19 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Donald Trump Stumbles On Air Force One Steps, Social Media Trolls Him With Old Man Jokes
Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty President Donald Trump's having a pretty stressful week. First, he had a very public spat with his former best friend, Elon Musk, on social media, and now he has fanned the flames of Los Angeles' immigration policy protests by deploying the National Guard. But if there's one thing he despises above all, weakness is probably up there, and nearly falling in public falls under that umbrella. It came after he faced a bunch of questions from the media about the Los Angeles uprising. He said that while there's no need to invoke the Insurrection Act currently, there are 'violent people,' a nd 'We are not going to let them get away with it.' He added, 'We are not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.' Ironically, the comment was made moments before his near tumble, as former President Joe Biden's steadiness on his feet was also a constant issue. Trump was in Hagerstown, Maryland, boarding Air Force One heading to Camp David, and while climbing the steps, he tripped and caught himself before falling over. Seconds later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio tripped while going up the steps, too. Biden's mental acuity was questioned due to his balance issues, brain fog, and being the eldest president ever at 82, and Trump used it against him, even nicknaming him sleepy Joe. 'Could we take a vote, please? Who wants to call him crooked Joe? Who wants to call him sleepy Joe? That's my problem, they work like the same,' Trump said at a National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) fundraising event in April. ' Joe had one ability that I didn't have. He could sit down on a beach and he could fall asleep. Who the hell could do that? I could never fall asleep under these circumstances, I would be very conscious of my body.' But now, the tables have turned, and 78-year-old Trump's mentions have been flooded with old jokes. See the reactions below. Donald Trump Stumbles On Air Force One Steps, Social Media Trolls Him With Old Man Jokes was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marines arrive in LA under Trump orders as protests spread to other cities
By Brad Brooks, Jorge Garcia, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in Los Angeles overnight and more were expected on Tuesday under orders from President Donald Trump, who has also activated 4,000 National Guard troops to quell protests despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local leaders. The city has seen days of public outrage since the Trump administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday, though local officials said the demonstrations on Monday were largely peaceful. About half of the roughly 700 Marines that Trump ordered to Los Angeles arrived on Monday night, and the remaining troops will enter the city on Tuesday, a U.S. official told Reuters. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told KABC that more than 100 people had been arrested on Monday but that the majority of protesters were nonviolent. Over the weekend, protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers and vehicles and set several cars ablaze. Police responded by firing projectiles like pepper balls as well as flash bang grenades and tear gas. Trump has justified his decision to deploy active military troops to Los Angeles by describing the protests as a violent occupation of the city, a characterization that Newsom and Bass have said is grossly exaggerated. Newsom said that Trump's deployment of National Guard troops has only inflamed the situation and made it more difficult for local law enforcement to respond to the demonstrations. In a statement on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department had not been notified that any Marines were traveling to the city and that their possible arrival "presents a significant logistical and operational challenge" for police. Trump's decision to mobilize 700 Marines based in Southern California escalated his confrontation with Newsom, who filed a lawsuit on Monday asserting that Trump's deployment of Guard troops without the governor's consent was illegal. The Guard deployment was the first time in decades that a president activated the Guard absent a request from a sitting governor. While the Marines are only tasked with guarding federal property temporarily until the full contingent of 4,000 Guard troops arrives, the use of active military to respond to civil disturbances is extremely rare. "This isn't about public safety," Newsom wrote on X on Monday. "It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego." The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, said he was "gravely troubled" by Trump's deployment of active-duty Marines. "Since our nation's founding, the American people have been perfectly clear: we do not want the military conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil," he said. In a post on Tuesday morning on Truth Social, Trump claimed Los Angeles would be "burning to the ground right now" if he had not deployed troops to the city. DEMONSTRATIONS AND ARRESTS The raids are part of Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, which Democrats and immigrant advocates have said are indiscriminately breaking up families. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged on Monday to carry out more operations to round up suspected immigration violators. Trump officials have branded the protests as lawless and blamed state and local Democrats for protecting undocumented immigrants with sanctuary cities. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Monday outside a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles where immigrants have been held, chanting "free them all" and waving Mexican and Central American flags. National Guard forces formed a human barricade to keep people out of the building, and late on Monday, police began dispersing the crowd using gas canisters and arrested some protesters. At dusk, officers had running confrontations with protesters who had scattered into the Little Tokyo section of the city. As people watched from apartment patios above street level and as tourists huddled inside hotels, a large contingent of LAPD and officers and sheriff's deputies fired several flash bangs that boomed through side streets along with tear gas. Protests spread to neighboring Orange County on Monday night after immigration raids there, with demonstrators gathering at the Santa Ana Federal building, according to local officials and news reports. Protests also sprang up in at least nine other U.S. cities on Monday, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, according to local news reports. In Austin, Texas, police fired non-lethal munitions and detained several people as they clashed with a crowd of several hundred protesters.
Black America Web
19 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Doechii Slams Trump Administration In Powerful BET Awards Acceptance Speech
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Doechii was all smiles as she accepted the 2025 BET Awards for 'Best Female Hip Hop Artist.' After all, it's the 'Anxiety' artist's first BET Award. But instead of a traditional acceptance speech, she used her platform to bring awareness to the peaceful protest outside the Peacock Theater, which is being forcefully interrupted by authorities. 'I do want to address what's happening right now, outside the building,' she said passionately.'These are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities. In the name of law and order, Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be — when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.' Dozens of people have been detained and taken into custody during raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting protests in the DTLA area, NBC News reports. 'People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people,' she added. Per AP, an initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. These attacks on our civil liberties is more evidence of the Trump Administration's failure to the people. 'This isn't about public safety,' Gov. Gavin Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' SEE ALSO Doechii Slams Trump Administration In Powerful BET Awards Acceptance Speech was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
