NYU students call for ‘sanctuary campus’ and ‘race-based scholarships’ at university senate rally

A New York University (NYU) student group organized a protest rally on Thursday, demanding that school officials declare NYU a “sanctuary campus” and supporting “race-based scholarships.”

The Nov. 13 protest, organized by Students for a Democratic Society during a university senate meeting, also advocated for many other left-wing positions, including a call for the school to reject President Donald Trump’s compact on higher education, protections for transgender-identifying students, and an increase in black student enrollment.

[RELATED: UNC rejects Trump administration’s academic compact]

During the rally, protesters chanted “Education is a right! Not just for the rich and white!” and “No Compliance! No wall! Sanctuary for all!”

The protesters called for the school to reject Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and offer “gender-affirming care.”

“We demand a sanctuary campus where NYU will commit to no collaboration with ICE and work to prevent student deportations,” one student speaker said, according to Fight Back! News, a socialist platform. “We demand a pledge to protect trans rights, specifically protection of access to gender-affirming care and safe spaces for trans students.”

“We demand a commitment to increasing Black enrollment,” the student added. “We demand a commitment to protecting our cultural programs, no cuts or defunding of ethnic studies, cultural groups and race-based scholarships.”

The protesters also accused NYU officials of failing to combat President Trump’s efforts to reform higher education.

“Trump has launched multiple attacks against higher education and marginalized students. NYU, rather than stand by its students, instead has complied with many of these attacks showcasing their cowardice,” a student protester stated.

Another student said, “we must share our dissent of NYU’s choice to be silent, and their choice of profit over the people they serve We must make our voices heard so that they can question why they sleep so well at night knowing that every day, they are failing the promise of a diverse, safe campus delivered to their students.”

[RELATED: UPenn rejects Trump higher ed compact after faculty senate pressure]

On Oct. 1, the Trump administration offered nine institutions the chance to participate in the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” before extending the offer to all American universities on Oct. 13.

The administration seeks to remove “woke, socialist, and anti-American ideology” from higher education and restore merit over identity-based ideology. The deadline for signing the compact is Nov. 21.

Only Valley Forge Military College in Pennsylvania and the New College of Florida have expressed interest in the administration’s offer. None of the original schools have agreed to join.

Faculty members and student organizations across the country have called for their institutions to reject the compact, including the Northwestern Faculty Assembly, the Faculty Senate at the University of Michigan, and two student organizations at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Campus Reform contacted NYU and Students for a Democratic Society for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.