University System of Maryland joins lawsuit over Trump administration canceling student visas
By Sarah Sternhagen, Editor-in-Chief
The University System of Maryland, which Towson University is a part of, is backing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its cancellation of international student visas. The lawsuit says the administration is targeting students who participated in pro-Palestine protests over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The American Association of University Professors, a faculty organization known as AAUP, sued the Trump administration in late March seeking to block the administration from revoking student visas. The Maryland system or USM, filed a legal brief this month supporting the case, including a preliminary injunction, which would stop the administration from revoking student visas while the lawsuit plays out.
At least 85 other higher education organizations and colleges signed in support of an injunction, including Loyola University of Maryland and Goucher University.
“The policy has created a climate of fear among non-citizens at American colleges and universities,” the court filing reads. “This fear extends beyond non-citizens who have expressed pro-Palestinian views; many are afraid of expressing any political views contrary to those of the current administration for fear of reprisal.”
Over 1,500 international students have had their visas revoked in what the Trump administration has described as a campaign to combat antisemitism on college campuses. The AAUP says the administration has expanded antisemitism to include any pro-Palestine or anti-Israel speech. Free speech advocates say the deportations should alarm citizens because it encroaches on First Amendment rights and could eventually expand to all students’ speech.
Towson officials said Saturday it was not aware of any of its international students’ visas being revoked.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in late January instructing federal agencies to “monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff” and “if warranted, actions to remove such aliens.”
Towson University President Mark Ginsberg said during a public meeting last week that the USM backed the lawsuit on behalf of all colleges it represented, including Towson.
Towson officials referred The Towerlight to the USM for comment on the lawsuit. A USM representative declined to comment.
USM Chancellor Jay Perman addressed the lawsuit at a board of regents meeting this month.
“The brief supports a preliminary injunction to stop the administration from revoking student visas without cause, and arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen students and faculty,” Perman said during the meeting. “The revocation of visas is already happening at our USM universities. And our students are scared. Not just visa-holding students, but any student with noncitizen status.”
Perman said the legal clinics at University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Baltimore are offering legal services to affected students.