Student Government Association President Ethan Lynne on Monday reaffirmed his commitment to collaborating with D.C. university student leaders in response to President Donald Trump’s ongoing targeting of international students and protesters nationwide.
Lynne said he has met with student leaders from Howard, Trinity, Georgetown and American universities to coordinate a shared strategy for confronting federal crackdowns on college campuses and laying the groundwork for partnership with the D.C. mayor’s office. Lynne campaigned on protecting free speech of students, saying at the SGA presidential debate that the body would work with students to “find the best way” to navigate the Trump administration’s actions.
“Right after I was sworn in I met with other student body presidents from universities in D.C. and we began working together to form a coalition to determine the best ways to protect students living in the nation’s capital,” Lynne said in a message. “It’s my hope we can establish an official relationship with the mayor’s office and set up standing meetings with them to open up lines of communication.”
Lynne said his team is “closely” watching the protests against the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts in Los Angeles and across the country.
“It’s appalling to see people’s rights attacked and violence encouraged by many in positions of power,” Lynne said. “Everyone from regular citizens to United States senators have a full right to protest and question a presidential administration and should not be detained.”
Lynne said he is continuing discussions with the University about ways to support and protect international students on campus. In April, the Department of Homeland Security restored legal status for “most” international students at GW following federal agencies revoking visas of around 10 international students.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a press release May 28 that the State Department alongside DHS will “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese students and “enhance scrutiny” for all future visa applicants from China. Earlier this month, The Trump administration also implemented a travel ban that bars entry to the United States for citizens of 19 countries, potentially delaying visa applications or denying entry for at least 50 international students currently enrolling at GW.
“I also remain firmly committed to working with University officials and VP Stoddard on further steps we can take to protect our international students from this current administration and ensure their safety and ensure their safety and security here at GW,” Lynne said.
Lynne said he had a “productive” first meeting with the Student Health Center leadership and plans to share updates with the student population “soon.” Lynne ran for SGA president on a platform of forming a student panel to commission an anonymous survey to identify concerns with the SHC.
The SGA Senate also unanimously passed the Executive Branch Organization Resolution, which the body passes every year to confirm every legislative committee has their designated executive branch counterpart.
The SGA Senate confirmed Ben Wieser as special counsel for the executive office, Mashal Sohani as executive policy director, Henry Mills as senior adviser for the executive office and Kalah Neal as executive operations director.
The SGA will hold their next meeting on July 14 over Zoom.
