Education

Illinois University Leaders Join Condemnation of Trump Administration’s ‘Unprecedented Government Overreach’

Leaders from several Illinois universities signed onto a public statement Tuesday, alongside more than 200 university leaders across the U.S., speaking out against the Trump administration’s efforts to change university policies under the threat of cutting federal funding. 

“We speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” the statement read.

In the statement, issued by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, higher education leaders wrote they are “open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight,” but they “reject the coercive use of public research funding.”

The statement signatories include leaders representing large public and private research universities, higher education associations, community colleges, small liberal arts schools and Ivy League schools.

Presidents from several universities in Illinois signed on to the statement as of Tuesday afternoon, including from Northwestern University, Chicago State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Dominican University and Rockford University.

The statement comes a day after Harvard University sued the Trump administration for its decision to freeze more than $2.2 billion in federal funds after the university said it would not comply with the administration’s demands to limit activism on campus, audit academic programs and make changes to its hiring and admission practices.

The Trump administration has argued universities allowed antisemitism to go unchecked at campus protests last year against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Last week, Northwestern officials said they intend to fund “vital” at-risk research themselves after the Trump administration announced plans to freeze nearly $800 million in federal funding for the university.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]

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