The Eagle’s editorial board is composed of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views. Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.
When President Donald Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, D.C. seemed to stand still. With the exception of Trump’s supporters gathering in Capitol One Arena and surrounding places near the National Mall and Gallery Place, the city felt deserted. This quiet seemed, however, to be the calm before the storm.
Within hours of his inauguration, Trump signed a record-breaking 26 executive orders on day one alone, many of which will profoundly impact American University students and the broader AU community. Trump began by rescinding many policies set forth by former President Joe Biden that focused on racial and gender equality, launching mass deportations and attempting to revoke birthright citizenship. Many of his actions threaten the values of inclusivity, diversity and overall global engagement that AU prides itself on.
One of the executive orders rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives within the federal government, including eliminating DEI-related positions and funding. Removing such programs on the federal level, especially in D.C., sends a harmful message to underrepresented AU students — that the federal government doesn’t value their contributions. This is not just an issue in the government — prominent private companies like Target, Meta, Amazon and McDonald’s have all begun to scale back or eliminate diversity efforts. Universities have also come under fire for their DEI initiatives, with Trump threatening to tax endowments of schools he deems “woke.” In light of Trump’s actions, AU students may fear the rollback of the University’s DEI-related programs in an attempt to appease Trump and keep its almost $1 billion endowment secure.
Trump’s immigration-related executive orders pose an immediate threat to those on AU’s campus. His declaration of a “national emergency” at the southern border, the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” policy and the outright ban on birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and those on temporary visas have fueled fear and uncertainty among students across the U.S. of immigrant backgrounds. For AU students who are undocumented or are part of families with mixed status, these policies can take away from their focus on education and everyday life as students worry about their family, friends or even themselves being victims of these actions.
During Trump’s first term in office, the University saw anti-immigration sentiments rise on campus. In January 2018, anti-immigrant posters were found around campus reading “#MyBordersMyChoice” and “NO means NO,” — inflammatory statements that can perpetuate hate, violence and harm toward Latinx and immigrant students on campus. After former AU President Sylvia Burwell sent an email condemning the posters, Latinx student leaders grew frustrated, saying Burwell’s response lacked resources and support for students affected. In September 2017, Burwell said that students who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a program that Trump attempted to end via executive action but was overturned by the Supreme Court, would continue to be supported on campus, although she fell short of labeling the University as a “sanctuary campus” for undocumented students, echoing claims from Harvard University that the classification could bring unwanted attention to DACA students. Burwell’s predecessor, Cornelius Kerwin, also signed letters in December 2016 committing to protecting undocumented students under the DACA program.
Additionally, Trump’s series of executive orders in his firm term that temporarily banned travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — caused an outcry on campus. Along with student protests, Kerwin issued a memo in February 2017 urging Trump to reconsider the travel ban. At the time, 21 AU students were citizens of the affected countries. Like Burwell, Kerwin did not proclaim the University as a “sanctuary campus” but said AU would actively oppose the ban. AU has taken stances on inflammatory policies that impact students on personal levels before and needs to continue to do so under the second Trump administration.
The Trump administration’s stance on education is also worrying to many students. Although Trump has said that student loans will not be affected for now, his long-term goal of closing the Department of Education raises many alarming questions about the future of federal aid programs. Many AU students rely on FAFSA and federal grants to afford tuition — what happens to those students if the programs are closed? The uncertain future of the Department of Education also serves as a major blow to the AU students in the School of Education, who found out last semester that SOE may close as an independent school and be integrated back into the College of Arts and Sciences due to the University’s budget deficit. During a time when SOE students’ futures may already seem grim, Trump’s plans for the Department of Education present even more uncertainty, especially for those who aim to work in education policy.
This uncertainty is not limited to SOE, as many of Trump’s policies threaten the University's core values: educating civil servants. One of the largest draws of AU is the proximity of campus to downtown D.C. and the ability to receive internships with prestigious institutions they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Students seeking internships or jobs in federal agencies have already begun facing cancellations due to funding and hiring freezes that Trump announced on Jan. 24 and reversed on Jan. 29. Even though he reversed the budget freeze, uncertainty in budgets could make federal agencies hesitant to offer internships or entry-level jobs, leaving AU students with fewer opportunities in government-related fields.
At a time when the federal government is enacting policies that deeply affect AU students, the University needs to take a firm stand. University leadership needs to issue a clear statement reaffirming its commitment to diversity, support for immigrant and international students and how it plans to address the potential impact of Trump’s policies on students. AU has a responsibility to acknowledge the uncertainty on campus and provide reassurance that it will continue to support students, no matter the political climate.
Transparency is crucial in moments like these. Students deserve to know how AU will protect them and encourage them to keep working on their passions despite federal cuts that may upend their life’s work. AU must expand resources through affected students — whether through career support for students and graduates who have lost internships or jobs, increased funding and commitment to the University’s DEI programs or even through making it known that there is help if emotional support is needed.
Trump’s executive orders are not just policy shifts; they directly conflict with many of AU’s defining principles. As changemakers and future leaders, students deserve support from the University — not just with words, but with meaningful action and intent behind them.
This piece was written by Alana Parker and edited by Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Emma Brown and Nicole Kariuki.
