6/26/25 Reposted from cair.com
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the designation of the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as a “Hostile Campus” for its pattern of discriminatory treatment toward anti-genocide Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and allied students and faculty.
This designation comes in response to UCI’s reported militarized crackdown on peaceful anti-genocide protests, the suspension and criminal prosecution of students and faculty, and a long-standing pattern of suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy and academic freedom.
“From criminal charges to indefinite suspensions and violent police crackdowns, UC Irvine has become a national symbol of how universities punish students who dare to speak up for Palestine and against genocide,” said Dr. Maryam Hasan, CAIR’s Research and Advocacy Specialist. “By allowing bias, brutality and harassment to go unchecked, UCI has shown it is not a safe place for anti-genocide students and faculty.”
In a statement, said CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik, Esq. said:
“UCI’s campaign of intimidation toward students and faculty advocating for Palestinian human rights reveals its intent to silence and criminalize anyone who expresses viewpoints that university leadership disagrees with. From militarized police crackdowns to criminal prosecutions of peaceful protesters, the UCI administration has created a hostile environment in which Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students face retaliation simply for exercising their right to speak out against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“UCI’s actions align with the widespread assault on academic freedom and the silencing of pro-Palestinian activism that we have seen at local universities, such as UCLA and Pomona, as well as numerous universities across the nation. We will continue to hold these institutions accountable for their blatant disregard for students’ and faculties’ rights and safety on campus.”
UC Irvine’s designation stems from a pattern of discriminatory actions, including the arrest of 50 people during peaceful Gaza solidarity protests in May 2024 and the indefinite suspension of five students, now the subject of a lawsuit. A Title VI complaint filed by the Muslim Legal Fund of America alleges UCI retaliated against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and faculty.
Faculty condemned the university’s use of militarized police and the arrest of tenured professor Dr. Tiffany Willoughby-Herard. Pro-Palestinian students were reportedly doxed on campus with no protection from administrators, and UCI’s chancellor faced formal rebuke for failing to acknowledge Palestinian civilian deaths in a campus-wide statement. These events reportedly follow a longer history of bias, including the prosecution of students in the 2010 “Irvine 11” case for peaceful protest.
UCI now joins a growing list of campuses identified by CAIR as hostile environments for those advocating for Palestinian human rights.
CAIR urges students, faculty, and community members to nominate institutions that suppress free speech and academic freedoms using the Hostile Campus reporting tool.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
