• 'Young people are actually learning how to use their rights,' Romero tells Anadolu, warning that the suppression of student activism sends the message that 'in reality, they don’t exist'
• 'The idea of losing one champion that has been the US in the past is actually very problematic, but perhaps it opens a window of opportunity for other countries to also jump in and start championing rights and freedoms,' says Romero

ISTANBUL

As the Trump administration tightens the screws on pro-Palestinian activism, vilifying, detaining, or deporting advocates across the country, it has been feeding growing concerns that basic freedoms may be on the retreat in the US.

Recent weeks have seen over half a dozen people taken into custody for their pro-Palestinian views and advocacy, with top officials all the way up to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing that the sweep will continue until “we’ve gotten rid of them all.”

UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero calls it a “tremendous curtailment of freedom of expression, assembly, and association for the pro-Palestine movement.”

Romero, who has been the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association since last year, worries that the “direct curtailing” of rights is targeting “those who are most vulnerable because they risk deportation.”

The latest victim was an international PhD student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Rumeysa Ozturk. A Turkish national, Ozturk’s visa was revoked over alleged “activities in support of Hamas,” — an accusation made without evidence by the US Department of Homeland Security.

It came a year after she co-authored an op-ed for the Tufts Daily newspaper, urging the university administration to acknowledge and act on Community Union Senate resolutions by recognizing the Palestinian genocide and divesting from financial ties to Israel.

Other high-profile detentions include Momodou Taal from Cornell University and Yunseo Chung from Columbia, the same New York university where prominent pro-Palestinian activist and green card holder Mahmoud Khalil had graduated before he, too, was swept up by Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the escalating crackdown.

Romero argued, “In Khalid’s case, it’s not possible to justify a deportation because, in the end, he is being deported for expressing his opinion … not for any reasonable legal decision.”

She explained that each new step the government takes to pressure universities stokes fear within the academic community and undermines essential rights and freedoms, including the right of peaceful assembly, academic freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to express identity.

Threat to democracy and youth empowerment

The harm of suppressing student activism goes beyond day-to-day politics, according to Romero.

“Young people are actually learning how to use their rights,” she said. But when those rights are restricted, it sends a damaging message: “They will be … learning that there is something called rights, but in reality, they don’t exist.”

Such limitations undermine public life — voting, expressing opinions, and engaging in social movements, she said.

These limitations weaken democratic participation, discouraging voting, free expression, and involvement in social movements. “If rights don’t exist, what is the point of participating?” she asked, emphasizing that such repression threatens democracy itself, which relies on “the participation and the voice of the people.”

The impact is even greater for vulnerable migrant communities, where fear and silence may replace civic engagement. In the worst cases, Romero cautioned, repression could even push individuals toward “radicalism.”

Romero also highlighted the disproportionate impact on certain groups: “Migrant students … with certain nationalities had actually a disproportionate affectation on this curtailing of the rights.” Because of their precarious status, she noted, they face a heightened risk: “There is a curtailing of the rights of the people who are actually the more vulnerable because then they can be deported at some point.”

Role of universities and protecting student rights

Romero stressed the responsibility of elite institutions like Harvard and Columbia, whose global influence gives them a powerful voice.

“They have a voice that is being heard,” she said, emphasizing that these universities should use their platform not to restrict rights, but to “speak truth to power” and defend academic freedom. Beyond academic integrity, she argued, universities must actively work to “stop the erosion of rights” and safeguard democracy.

She also warned that a growing climate of fear on campuses is undermining universities’ core mission of fostering a safe learning environment. As fear spreads, students are “shut down instead of voicing up,” she noted, stifling collective action. “That is problematic,” she added, “because that goes completely against the future of democracy itself.”

To counter this, Romero urged universities to create spaces where “challenging and difficult ideas” can be debated openly, ensuring students feel safe to express themselves. She also stressed the particular vulnerability of migrant students, especially those at risk of deportation, calling on universities to protect their rights and privacy.

Violation of data privacy

Romero denounced the sharing of student data with law enforcement or political entities, arguing that such practices violate privacy and create an unsafe environment for activism.

“Universities collect information and then send it to the police or other actors to actually help them to create cases against the students. That is terrible, and that is something that they should stop doing,” she said.

In one case this week at the University of Alabama, where a doctoral student was apprehended in an immigration enforcement action. University spokesperson Alex House stated that the institution would “continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities.”

Romero urged universities to review their policies to ensure they align with “the international standard for the protection of human rights.” She stressed that institutions must not take actions that compromise students’ rights to freely assemble, associate, and express themselves.

‘Not only happening in the US’

The crackdown on activism extends beyond the US, reflecting a global trend of authoritarian tactics aimed at silencing dissent, Romero warned.

“This is not something isolated, and it’s not only happening in the US,” she said, emphasizing the broader implications for fundamental rights.

She noted that many governments with a history of restricting peaceful assembly are now seizing the moment to criticize Washington. However, she argued, much of this criticism serves as a political tool rather than a genuine effort to address their own internal shortcomings.

US retreat from human rights leadership

Romero describes the US’ diminishing role as a defender of democracy as “very problematic” but suggests it could create an opening for other nations to take the lead in championing rights and freedoms.

“The idea of losing one champion that has been the US in the past is actually very problematic, but perhaps it opens a window of opportunity for other countries to also jump in and start championing rights and freedoms.”

She further emphasized the importance of nations to focus on self-reflection, addressing their mistakes and internal issues, before stepping forward to “actually promote freedoms.”