"Colleges Form Alliance to Resist Trump Administration's Demands"

A coalition of colleges and universities has discreetly come together to formulate strategies against President Trump’s initiatives aimed at imposing a series of demands on higher education institutions. This coalition, consisting of around 10 schools largely located in predominantly blue states, is separate from other organizations that have publicly opposed the administration's recent actions.

The leadership within this new alliance has been in close communication to develop a united front against the administration’s threats to withhold federal funding, which is being used as leverage to coerce educational institutions into compliance. They collectively recognize the risk to their academic independence, particularly concerning their admissions processes, hiring practices, and curricular decisions.

The concerns driving this alliance reflect earlier actions, such as a lawsuit from Harvard University in response to the administration's freezing of $2.2 billion in funding. Behind the scenes, the group is deliberating potential responses to various administrative strategies while acknowledging a lack of preparedness for scenarios where international student enrollment or faculty rights are jeopardized.

The Trump administration's history of revoking visas for foreign students involved in political activities highlights ongoing threats to international academic partnerships, although that particular tactic may have ceased. The administration is now seeking an agreement from Harvard to work collaboratively with the Department of Homeland Security.

While this coalition operates in secrecy, it represents a broader willingness among colleges and universities to band together against significant political pressures, signifying a potential united front against the Trump administration's onslaught, irrespective of their public allegiances.