Muslim civil Rights group urges Johns Hopkins U. to join list of institutions stepping up to protect students’ rights
(BALTIMORE, MD, 4/13/2025) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today applauded the state’s Attorney General Anthony Brown and three Maryland institutions that have joined a multi-state legal battle spearheaded by nineteen states’ Attorneys General in urging a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s targeting of non-citizen students after hundreds of international students’ visas were reported revoked in recent weeks.
SEE: 19 state AGs ask federal judge to block Trump’s international student-visa cancellations
A press release by the Office of the Attorney General issued on Friday said in part:
“Attorney General Brown today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in American Association of University Professors, et al., v. Marco Rubio, et al. in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, supporting a challenge to the Trump administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy,” which targets and punishes noncitizens with lawful status—especially college students and faculty—who express political beliefs with which the administration disagrees, threatening investigation, arrest, detention, and deportation.
In filing the brief, the coalition urges the court to block the administration’s policy, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and irreparably harms colleges and universities, public health and safety, and freedom of religious worship in the coalition states.
“This is ideological discrimination, plain and simple — and it violates the Constitution,” said Attorney General Brown. “The administration cannot criminalize free speech or weaponize immigration laws against lawful residents because it dislikes their views. We are asking the court to put an end to this unconstitutional policy before it inflicts further irreparable harm on our communities and our fundamental freedoms.”
The University System of Maryland, Goucher College and Loyola University Maryland havw signed an amicus brief supporting a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump administration from revoking student visas without cause and arresting, detaining and deporting noncitizen students and faculty.
SEE: Maryland colleges back lawsuit to halt Trump visa cancellations
On April 8, CAIR Maryland joined CAIR offices in other states in strongly condemning the visa revocations and called for immediate reinstatement and due process for impacted students. Since then, dozens more international students in Maryland and nationwide have received notice that their visas have been suspended.
SEE: CAIR Maryland Condemns Extrajudicial Revocation of Student Visas Amid Federal Campus Crackdowns
Recently, CAIR Maryland released a letter signed by nearly 60 groups urging officials to prohibit colleges and universities in the state from sharing students’ data with federal agencies without a warrant signed by a judge.
SEE: Johns Hopkins students call on university to protect them from ICE – WMAR
HJC and CAIR hold press conference to demand protection of students from federal agencies
CAIR is investigating the scope of the visa cancellations to offer advocacy and legal support. Students impacted by visa revocations can contact CAIR’s legal team by filling out an intake form at cair.com/report and then emailing mdoutreach@cair.com following the form submission.
Last month, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. The report found that viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
In addition to legal and advocacy support, CAIR encourages students, staff, and faculty to report discriminatory campus environments through CAIR’s “Hostile Campuses” initiative, which tracks institutions where individuals have been targeted for opposing occupation, apartheid, or genocide. Campuses can be submitted for review at islamophobia.org/reportcampus.
SEE: https://islamophobia.org/hostile-campuses/
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062;
CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Syuardi, ksyuardi@cair.com, 202-850-9293