I never thought I would see the day when defending Harvard University would be considered honorable. The world works in mysterious ways.
The Trump administration has officially targeted colleges and higher education in the U.S., and it is going to change the fabric of education in our country.
Harvard is one of the first of many private and public schools under the scrutiny of the federal government for refusal to comply with federal orders regarding on-campus protests and will be forced to face numerous roadblocks to protect the students, professors and research that takes place at these institutions.
It won’t be long before colleges such as Texas A&M are put under this same pressure, and it is going to be a decisive moment in our history. Do we fight back and protect our education, or do we comply with orders that infringe upon the rights of organizations to disseminate information in whichever manner they want? The choice is ours.
But how did we get here in the first place?
This struggle originated in the protests that took place in May 2024 at colleges across the country. These were spurred on by the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and these protests are still a major point of concern for many lawmakers and administrators in the federal government.
The U.S. government’s reaction to these protests was decisive, and specific students were arrested and targeted by immigration authorities. Colleges across the nation were faced with government scrutiny and had to defend their institutions and students in congressional hearings.
These protests directly led to the creation of a federal joint task force to fight antisemitism and investigate college campuses’ responses to these protests. The results of this task force found that Harvard would need to comply with specific demands made by this group to comply with their standards.
Harvard rejected these demands as they found them unreasonable and were already taking steps to promote equality on their campuses. Some of these demands included the discontinuation of any diversity, equity and inclusion programs on campus, higher scrutiny of international students and reforms to their admission process.
Because of the rejection, on April 14, the current administration froze $2.2 billion of federal grants and $40 million in governmental contracts that Harvard received.
Could you imagine if this happened to A&M? Aggie research heavily relies on funding from the federal government. If this were cut, many Aggies would be without jobs, and we students wouldn’t have access to the high-quality research our university currently conducts.
Grants and contracts were not the only target of this administration. The IRS is now looking to potentially rescind Harvard’s 501(c)(3) status, which would require them to pay federal income taxes — a large financial burden on the university.
Harvard has now sued the Trump administration for their part in this federal witch hunt and has alleged that their First Amendment rights have been violated by the U.S. government.
This lawsuit is sure to have a massive impact on education in the country and will encompass complex topics such as federal funding, governmental oversight and academic freedom, all of which are threatened by the current administration.
Let me be clear: students, professors and organizations have the right to protest.
Not only is this clearly stated by the First Amendment, but it’s a fundamental right for all Americans. Loyalty to the current administration should not be a roadblock to getting funds.
Other universities — such as schools in the Big Ten — have recognized this and formed pacts that protect each other in case they are targeted.
If this were any other time in history, this would be seen as completely dystopian. Schools who are famous for being sports rivals are now comrades in fighting a vindictive government.
Universities are not responsible for the actions or beliefs of their students and they should not censor students with whom they disagree. Freedom of speech and assembly protect everyone. They are not rights that should be taken away by those in power.
What can we do about it?
While there is not much opportunity for electing new leaders at the moment, we can still recognize the dangers this administration poses and fight back. The authority and legitimacy of the U.S. government comes from the consent of the people it governs.
Attacks on the education system are nothing new. Take attempts by leaders in the 1960s to continue segregation, burning books in Nazi Germany and limiting access to outside news and literature in North Korea as examples of how governments know that education has power.
Education is inherently political, and it always will be. A solid education builds the foundation for a successful life and there are always going to be people who are not willing to fund this system.
Colleges in the United States are under attack, and we have the power to shield our institutions from an overreaching government. As students, we can speak to our representatives and let them know we are opposed to abuses of power by our government.
At the same time, our universities have a role to play as well. A&M is highly influential and our senior leadership has the power to influence our nation’s leaders and protect the education systems that allow uswe Aggies to thrive.
We all have the responsibility to protect our education system. All it takes is for everyone to show up and speak out.
Wyatt Pickering is a business honors and finance sophomore and opinion writer for The Battalion.
