GWU faces new calls to defy federal immigration law
More than 45 student groups at George Washington University (GWU) signed a petition calling on the school administration to declare the school a 'sanctuary campus' for illegal immigrants.
The petition was organized by the GW Socialist Action Initiative and circulated on Aug. 18.
More than 45 student groups at George Washington University (GWU) signed a petition calling on the school administration to declare the school a “sanctuary campus” for illegal immigrants.
The petition was organized by the GW Socialist Action Initiative and circulated on Aug. 18, according to The Washington Free Beacon. The group issued six demands, including banning federal immigration enforcement officials from entering campus and refusing to cooperate with government surveillance or deportation efforts.
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The Socialist Action Initiative also urged GWU to expand financial and legal support for individuals facing immigration or prosecution threats, warning that “any deal that GW could reach with the Trump Administration will harm student life and wellbeing.”
GWU’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter issued a similar petition on May 3, calling on the administration to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and reject compliance with federal deportation orders. That group described the Trump administration’s policies as a “terror campaign” and accused GW of accepting “blood money” by pledging to comply with federal requirements.
“The University’s silence in the face of federal intimidation is violence against its noncitizen community members,” the SJP petition read. “While schools across the nation stand tall against [Department of Homeland Security] and ICE cruelty, GW has promised to ‘do what is required’ to continue receiving this administration’s blood money.”
Calls for sanctuary campus policies follow broader activist campaigns on campus. In November, GWU faculty announced the formation of a Faculty for Justice in Palestine chapter, expressing support for divestment from Israel and solidarity with pro-Palestinian student demonstrators.
The university has also faced federal scrutiny. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice concluded that GWU violated civil rights law by failing to address anti-Semitic harassment during 2024 protests. Officials determined the school was “deliberately indifferent” and warned federal funding could be at risk if reforms were not implemented by Aug. 22.
“The administration took no meaningful action and allowed abhorrent, immoral, and illegal conduct to persist,” DOJ officials wrote in their findings.
Campus Reform contacted George Washington University for comment. This article will be updated with any response.
