It’s not about safety. It’s about silencing political dissent.

So this is a story so surreal, so glaringly authoritarian, that if it were pitched as a plotline for a Netflix series, the writers’ room would say, “Okay, reel it in, guys—that’s a bit much.”

Donald J. Trump, full-time collector of court dates, has issued a new demand to America’s colleges and universities: identify the students participating in campus protests—and, while you’re at it, report their nationalities. Because apparently, suppressing dissent is now a group project.

Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait, what?”—you are not alone. This is, unfortunately, 2025. And this is real.

The demand came in the wake of increasing pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country. Trump, in a speech and subsequent campaign communications, essentially told university officials: “Hey, give us names. We want to know who these students are—and whether they’re foreign nationals.” He framed it, of course, as a matter of national security. But let’s be honest: this is less about safety, and more about silencing.

Let’s break this down. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States famously protects the right to free speech, free assembly, and peaceful protest. There is no asterisk that says “unless you make someone uncomfortable,” or “unless your last name sounds foreign.” That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.

What Trump is proposing is not only a gross overreach, it reeks of authoritarianism. I mean…imagine being a university administrator and getting that call. “Hi, yes, this is the Trump campaign. We’d like the names and nationalities of your protestors. Oh, and could you alphabetize them? Just makes it easier for the gulag.”

The chilling effect here cannot be overstated. International students already live under constant scrutiny—visas that can be revoked at a moment’s notice, cultural tensions, and now this? Trump’s call is a dog whistle wrapped in barbed wire, signaling to his base that foreign = dangerous, and protest = disloyal.

Over one million international students are currently enrolled in U.S. institutions. They contribute nearly $38 billion annually to the U.S. economy. They are not just “guests” in our academic spaces—they are vital members of the intellectual community. But according to Trump, if they hold a sign, they’re suddenly a threat?

University leaders—bless them—are being put in an impossible position. Do they violate their students’ trust and core academic values by complying with this request, or do they risk political backlash from a man who’s already declared his intention to turn the presidency into a blunt instrument of revenge?

And let’s be clear: today it’s protestors. Tomorrow, who knows? Climate activists? Students with blue hair? Anyone who used the word “intersectional” in a term paper?

So, where does this leave us? We must be vigilant. We must demand that our institutions reject these demands for ideological loyalty tests and refuse to turn over information that could put students—especially vulnerable international students—at risk. Silence in the face of authoritarianism isn’t neutrality. It’s complicity.

And to any student, anywhere in the U.S., thinking, “Should I speak up?”—the answer is yes. Your voice matters. And so does your right to use it.