New York City Council – Progressive Caucus | April 24, 2025
We write this letter as the New York City Council Progressive Caucus representing over 3 million
people, many of whom are students, faculty and staff at your institutions. As federal authorities
carry out an extreme MAGA agenda that threatens to re-segregate and defund our institutions
and disappears countless students, we call upon you to step up and defend our constituents.
We were heartened to see many of you sign Tuesday’s statement pushing back against the
Trump administration’s authoritarian actions, and we know the difficult position you are under
with federal funding and your principles on the line. It is not always easy to say and do the right
thing, but we need you to stand with your students and faculty. We call on you to commit to the
following principles:
- Defend academic freedom and student expression. Protect the right of all students,
faculty, and staff—regardless of political viewpoint or national origin—to engage in
peaceful protest, organize, and express dissent without fear of reprisal or surveillance.
Reject efforts to dismantle cultural studies curriculums. - Refuse collaboration with immigration enforcement on campuses. Do not voluntarily
comply with ICE or other federal immigration authorities seeking - Support immigrant and international students. Expand legal and financial resources for
undocumented and international students who may face retaliation, visa threats, or loss
of housing or employment due to federal policy shifts. - Uphold labor rights on campus. Engage in good faith bargaining with unionized student
and faculty and staff workers, who often bear the brunt of instability in higher education
and are essential to university functioning. - Advocate for federal research and education funding. Use your platform to push back
against attempts to defund the NIH, NSF, and other critical agencies, which
disproportionately harm public institutions and the communities they serve.
We recognize the critical role you play in our city and will fight alongside you against federal
overreach and cuts in this critical moment. We have your backs and will work to identify funding
at the city and state level to fill any gaps created by the Trump White House.
As administrators who are tasked with educating the next generation of our country’s leaders, we
urge you to stand with immigrant students, to stand with student workers, to stand with the
democratic principles upon which many of your institutions were founded. We cannot allow this
President and his extreme agenda to divide and conquer, starting with the most vulnerable of our
communities.
As members of the New York City Council, we stand ready to help protect academic freedom and
freedom of speech. Failure to protect student speech may violate Article 1, Section 8 of the New
York State Constitution. New Yorkers need you to not remain idle. An injury to one is an injury to
all.
Sincerely,
/s/ Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Sandy Nurse
/s/ Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Shahana Hanif, Brooklyn College alumna
/s/ Progressive Caucus Vice Co-Chair Carmen De La Rosa, Fordham University alumna
/s/ Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, SUNY Albany alumna
/s/ Council Member Alexa Avilés, Columbia University alumna
/s/ Council Member Tiffany Cabán, J.D., New York Law School alumna
/s/ Majority Leader Amanda Farias, St. John’s University alumna
/s/ Council Member Crystal Hudson
/s/ Council Member Rita Joseph
/s/ Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Cooper Union alumnus
/s/ Council Member Chris Marte, Long Island University-Brooklyn alumnus
/s/ Council Member Chi Ossé
/s/ Council Member Lincoln Restler
/s/ Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez
/s/ Council Member Althea Stevens, Long Island University-Brooklyn, Hunter College alumna
/s/ Council Member Carlina Rivera, Marist College alumna
/s/ Council Member Nantasha Williams, Ph.D., CUNY Graduate Center alumna
/s/ Council Member Julie Won, Syracuse University alumna
