ACLU Supporter – schools have long been at the center of so many free speech debates. But since President Trump took office a second time, there's been a massive escalation in students being unlawfully punished for exercising their First Amendment rights.

We've seen students arrested and threatened with deportation for protesting and expressing political views that don't align with the administration. We've seen visas revoked without cause or notice. And we've seen federal funding used as a bargaining chip to force universities to comply with Trump's unconstitutional policies on how they can teach and research.

The ACLU defends our rights wherever they are challenged – and we're working non-stop to protect free speech in schools, too:

• We've defended and helped secure the release of several immigrant students and faculty who were illegally detained by the administration because of their pro-Palestine viewpoints, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rümeysa Öztürk, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, and Mohsen Mahdawi.
• We've filed several lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE on behalf of international students across the country who have had their visas suddenly terminated without cause or explanation, disrupting their studies and putting them at risk for deportation.
• We filed an amicus brief in a suit against the Trump administration when it threatened to withhold billions of dollars in research funding in an attempt to control Harvard University's admissions, hiring, and courses.
• We sued the Department of Defense for limiting what information students have access to by removing books on gender and race from schools on military bases.

Beyond the many cases making their way through the courts, we are active in communities across the country, making sure students know their First Amendment rights and fighting at state legislatures and in Congress to stop school censorship before it ever becomes law.

But this work is far from over – and with a new school year underway, it's especially important that we have the resources to continue defending students' rights. That's why we set this $100,000 goal, and we're counting on dedicated people like you to help us reach it. Please, will you rush an urgent donation now?

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to defending the rights of ALL people nationwide. We simply couldn't do it without you!

The ACLU Team