To the editor, 

On Monday, Jan. 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. The first week of Trump’s presidency has already reaffirmed our worst fears about his administration’s intentions to diminish the safety of marginalized communities across the country. 

Within hours of assuming office, Trump signed dozens of executive orders designed to strip away the rights of immigrants along with the rights of gender, sexual and racial minorities. The executive branch has falsely and unscientifically declared there are only two genders at conception, unconstitutionally asserted an end to birthright citizenship, revoked long-standing employment protections and rolled back environmental policies among many other oppressive examples.

We write here today to call upon our administration to stand up — and not stand by — while students suffer as a result of these decisions that are out of our control.

We also seek to introduce our coalition of student organizations to the broader DU campus and assure our community that a network of students exists to lend a hand to one another, whenever and wherever possible. In the midst of an increasingly oppressive government, it is more important than ever to establish a network of support and build a community that we can lean on when there is nowhere else to go. 

While we stand firm in our belief that we, as students, are a powerful resource for one another, we also recognize the university’s administration will play a decisive role in how oppressive these political structures will be felt on campus.

Will DU act cooperatively with ICE agents? Will the university take appropriate action against hate speech and discrimination? Will upper administrators take steps to defend Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) through university policy in the face of federal disenfranchisement? Will DU remain committed to environmental sustainability and stewardship?

 It is hard to know with DU’s history of inaction and neutrality.

We would like to invite those in administration to join us for a collaborative process of community building and invite them to better engage with those who are fearful. Too often, decisions are made without student input, and the marginalized voices that need to be listened to the most are often the ones that go unheard.

We appreciate the university’s previous statement this month affirming its support for immigrant communities on campus, but we believe a single statement does not go far enough to ensure the safety and protection of our students. 

To affirm its support for our DU community, we call upon the administration to take the following actions:

• Resistance to comply with ICE agents attempting raids of or contact with staff, students, employees or other DU community members, using all legal means available, as seen with numerous Denver Public Schools. 
• Widespread public messaging distancing this institution from actions undertaken by the Trump administration when the actions impede the rights and safety of racial, ethnic, neurodivergent, gender and sexual minorities. 
• Consistent, collaborative and transparent communication with all student organizations who are a part of our coalition. This means working with our coalition to establish a committed and actionable plan for implementing this.
• That the Office of the Chancellor provides us with answers as to how they will keep us safe. We understand federal funding may be limited because of Trump’s administration, but we urge the university to prioritize the safety of our communities.
• Remain committed to DU’s vision as a “private university for the public good” by maintaining and expanding existing commitments to sustainability and environmental stewardship, as is necessary to protect the planet and future generations.

We believe it is not enough for DU to claim inclusivity, it must also fight for it. Support in name only is not support at all.

We would like to invite our fellow students to join us in holding our administration accountable in its responsibility to provide physical and emotional refuge to all members of the DU community. 

The next four years will be a test of our compassion and commitment to one another. Only in solidarity can we resist those who seek to divide and dehumanize us. 

The following organizations hereby affirm their support for the message and demands stated above:

Black Student Alliance 

Club for Collective Liberation

Divest DU

DU Deep Talk Fans

DU Student Union

Graduate Student Association

GSSW Queer Equality Alliance

GSSW Shades of Brown Alliance (SOBA)

GSSW Eco-Conscious group

Iliff4Ceasefire

Iliff Queer Coalition

IGNITE at DU 

Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion 

Korbel Social Justice Solidarity Coalition

KXDU Radio Club

Latin American Indigenous Student Association

Latine Student Alliance

National Lawyers Guild (DU Chapter)

Native Student Alliance

Plant Futures

Queer Student Alliance