Dear Community,
Last Friday, rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made an appearance on campus quickly spread through group chats, social media, dorm channels and club messaging boards. Though the rumors were dispelled within a few hours, that same night, the University announced that six student visas had been revoked by federal authorities.
The University has not released the names of the students. According to a Sunday email to The Daily from University spokesperson Dee Mostofi, ICE did not reach out to the University for student information.
As the executive editing team of The Daily, we want to confront what these rumors — and the broader context they were made in — mean for our newsroom and our work on campus.
First and foremost, they mean that student speech, from our own reporters and those we’re reporting on, is startlingly chilled. Both students and faculty have been increasingly hesitant to speak to The Daily and increasingly worried about comments that have already been made on the record. Some reporters have been choosing to step away from stories in order to keep their name detached from topics that might draw unwanted attention. Even authors of dated opinion pieces have expressed fear that their words might retroactively put them in danger.
In a time when a Tufts University graduate student can be detained and have her visa revoked for an op-ed she wrote over a year ago, these fears are entirely understandable. However, The Stanford Daily is meant to be a space to discuss events and ideas that affect our community — especially ideas that are underrepresented or lesser known. When the publication of an op-ed is grounds to put a student in a detention center, it is clear that the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech is under attack.
This is an unprecedented time for higher education and the news media. Our role as the largest independent student publication at Stanford is to serve the community with relevant, unbiased journalism, and we are uniquely positioned as students to understand how actions made by the Trump administration affect Stanford. No other journalists in the country have the same access and on-the-ground experience that we do as students. This is a responsibility, as well as an opportunity, to create real change through our reporting in the lives of students, faculty and staff on campus.
We urge the University to take active and public steps towards the safety of students, faculty and staff. Last week’s email from University president Jonathan Levin ’94 and Provost Jenny Martinez affirming the University’s commitment to academic freedom, differing backgrounds and “the value of universities” is not enough. Levin and Martinez, as well as members of the faculty and administrators, have the platform of a world-renowned institution at their disposal. They must use it to call out the Trump administration for the targeted assault on higher education, civil rights and the First Amendment.
Though a statement from the president and provost is not likely to change the course of the government’s actions, it will signal to Stanford’s community that their administration is actively supporting those who are being targeted. This layer of protection and security is vital and could make a real difference to students and staff who feel threatened every day.
Going forward, The Daily will be taking all of the above into account as we report and edit news pieces and op-eds submissions. Specifically, anonymity for students who feel threatened will be granted with more leniency than before. We will continue to do our job as journalists to provide accurate, objective information, and we call on Stanford administration to do their job in upholding the University’s values and protecting its students.
Students who want to learn more about our reporting and opinion submission policies can also speak with The Daily every odd week of spring quarter at On Call Cafe from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. or reach out at any time to [email protected].
Best,
Greta Reich ’26
Ananya Udaygiri ’26
Lauren Koong ’26