AAUW Condemns Escalating Federal Attacks on Higher Education, Civil Rights, and International Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Association of University Women (AAUW) strongly condemns the Trump administration’s latest order restricting international student visas at Harvard University. This is not an isolated incident — it is part of a disturbing pattern of politically motivated attacks on higher education that disproportionately harm women, students of color, and international scholars.
“Policies like this betray America’s long-standing commitment to education as a tool for diplomacy, innovation, and equity,” said Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW CEO. “We are proud to stand with international students and scholars — past, present, and future — whose voices and contributions make our academic institutions stronger.”
Since 1917, AAUW has supported women from around the world in pursuing graduate education in the United States through our International Fellowships program. Thousands of international scholars from more than 152 countries — many of them from countries now routinely targeted by restrictive immigration policies — have come to the U.S. to gain knowledge, contribute to research, and become global leaders in education, science, public policy, and more. These women have enriched American institutions, classrooms, and communities.
Among the recent political attacks on higher education include the abrupt cancellation of research grants, threats to Harvard University’s nonprofit status and Columbia University’s accreditation. We have also seen accusations at the state and federal level of institutions of supporting “illegal DEI”—a legally meaningless phrase used to attack programs that affirmatively support women and underrepresented communities.
The Trump administration has sought to weaponize Title IX, distorting its intent to punish colleges that foster inclusive learning environments. In a lesser-known move, the Department of Energy has issued a Direct Final Rule stripping anti-discrimination protections from its civil rights regulations — quietly rolling back decades of progress for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and communities of color in federally funded programs.
These actions arrive alongside a sweeping budget reconciliation proposal — misleadingly called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — that amounts to one big broken promise to students. The bill slashes federal student aid, including the elimination of Graduate PLUS loans and funding for campus-based childcare. Taken together with the visa restrictions and regulatory rollbacks, this bill underscores a deliberate effort to dismantle educational opportunity and civil rights protections from every angle.
“This is a coordinated campaign to punish institutions that promote inclusion, opportunity, and global collaboration,” said Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO of AAUW. “Restricting student visas, canceling research grants, and threatening universities’ nonprofit status are not acts of governance — they’re acts of political retaliation. And they jeopardize women’s contributions to innovation and progress in education and research.”
AAUW urges Congress, the higher education community, and civil rights advocates to push back forcefully against these political overreaches. Our nation’s future depends on higher education that is accessible, inclusive, and free from political interference.
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AAUW (American Association of University Women) is the nation’s leading organization for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment.
Founded in 1881 by women who defied society’s conventions by earning college degrees, AAUW has since worked to increase women’s access, opportunity, and equity in higher education through research, advocacy, and philanthropy of over $140 million, supporting thousands of women scholars. Learn more at aauw.org and follow us at @AAUW.