Press Release  AG Campbell Leads Multistate Coalition in Defense of First Amendment Protections for Noncitizen Students and Faculty

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today co-led a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in filing a multistate amicus brief in Stanford Daily Publishing Corporation v. Rubio in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. In their brief, the attorneys general support The Stanford Daily – an independent student-run newspaper at Stanford University – in their lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its “Ideological Deportation Policy,” which targets and punishes noncitizens with lawful status, especially college students and faculty who express political beliefs with which the Administration disagrees. 

    “No student, regardless of immigration status, should live in fear of deportation or retaliation by the federal government simply for expressing an opposing political view or belief,” said AG Campbell. “I will continue to defend the Constitution and the rights of our international students and faculty who contribute to Massachusetts’ culture, economy, and global competitiveness.”   

         In January 2025, President Trump issued two Executive Orders (14161 and 14188), which laid the groundwork for the Administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy.” These orders direct federal agencies to investigate, detain, and deport noncitizen students and faculty who engage in political speech with which the Administration disagrees. As a result of the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders and cruel immigration enforcement policies, the Stanford Daily filed a lawsuit in August 2025 against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing that multiple international student journalists have declined assignments, removed their bylines, or resigned entirely out of fear that their reporting could be used as grounds for deportation. 

        In their brief, AG Campbell and the coalition assert that the Trump Administration’s unlawful use of ideology to arrest, detain, and deport lawful noncitizen residents, threatens the economic growth and stability of the coalition states, their ability to attract diverse talent from around the world, and the states’ public health and safety. In Massachusetts, immigrants play a vital role in the growth and development of key sectors within the state economy, making up: 21.9% of the state’s labor force, including 27% of business owners, 29.3% of STEM workers, and 38.6% of health aides.  

         The contributions of immigrant students and faculty go far beyond economics: they enrich academic discourse, strengthen research capabilities, and enhance the global competitiveness of the coalition states. Yet, in Massachusetts the fear of deportation or re-entry denial has led many noncitizen students and faculty to avoid attending international conferences, refrain from speaking in class or attending in-person, cancel student events out of concern that members may be targeted, and in some cases, withdraw from their classes and relocate entirely. One Massachusetts public university estimates that there will be a 21% drop in prospective international students for the 2025-2026 academic year. Another reports that completed applications for first-year international students are down 12%. 

          AG Campbell and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s ideological deportation policy is a direct violation of the First Amendment’s right to free speech. The coalition states also argue that if deemed lawful by the Court, the Trump Administration’s weaponization of immigration enforcement would not only undermine the purpose of higher education, but it would also hinder the states’ ability to attract the diverse talent needed to grow and sustain key industries within state and local economies.  

          Notably, just two weeks ago, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts addressed this unlawful policy in American Association of University Professors, v. Rubio, ruling that First Amendment protections apply equally to citizens and lawfully present noncitizens. 

           Joining AG Campbell in filing the brief, which she co-led with the attorneys general of California and Washington, are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. 

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