Attorney General Bonta Joins Coalition to Defend International Students' and Faculty’s Free Speech Rights
Attorneys general urge the court to uphold First Amendment protections, reject visa revocations and deportations based on political speech
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a multistate coalition, filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold a district court ruling blocking the Trump Administration’s unlawful policy targeting individuals for visa revocations and removal based on their political speech and activism. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts previously found that the Trump Administration’s policy constituted viewpoint discrimination and violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act. In the brief in American Association of University Professors v. Marco Rubio, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s “ideological deportation policy” would harm states’ higher education institutions’ academic freedom, threaten states’ economic prosperity, and weaken their position as global leaders in innovation and education if allowed to continue.
“The Trump Administration’s weaponization of immigration enforcement against students and faculty is designed to chill free speech and civil discourse at college campuses across the country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “A district court has already rejected the Trump Administration’s ideological deportation policy as unlawful, and I urge the First Circuit to do the same. Our nation is built on robust debate and the free exchange of ideas. To send the message that students and faculty must fall in line or face deportation is antithetical our values and to the U.S. Constitution.”
In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta 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 and their ability to attract diverse talent from around the world, as well as the states’ public health and safety. California has over 880,000 immigrant entrepreneurs, who contribute $24.8 billion in business income, and 28 Fortune 500 companies in California were founded by immigrants and second-generation immigrants. 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. International students studying at California colleges and universities contributed $6.4 billion to the economy and help fund California’s higher education system, which supports all California residents.
Attorney General Bonta and the coalition further argue that the Trump Administration’s ideological deportation policy is a violation of the First Amendment’s right to free speech and carries with it a serious chilling effect on speech and scholarship. The coalition argues that if deemed lawful, 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.
Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont in filing the amicus brief.
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