Alder Proposal Urges Yale To Reject Potential Trump Deal

Downtown/Yale Alder Elias Theodore has formally asked his local-legislative colleagues to pass a resolution urging Yale to reject a potential settlement with the Trump administration over the university's admissions policies. That proposal is included on the agenda for Tuesday's full Board of Alders meeting. It now heads to a committee for review before returning to the full board for a final vote. In a Sept. 8 letter addressed to Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, Theodore — a New Haven native and Yale College senior — characterized the resolution as 'urging Yale University to decline to enter into a settlement with the Trump Administration.' While the terms of such a deal are not yet known, Theodore wrote, 'Given Yale's extraordinary presence in New Haven, changes to the University's policies and priorities can also have broader economic and cultural consequences for our city and region.' He noted that the City of New Haven 'has not stood by quietly as the Trump Administration has sought to undermine the rights and security of our residents.' Instead, the Elicker administration has sued the federal government time and again — 'to protect our immigrant neighbors, to preserve access to food assistance and other essential programs, and to defend the principle that every resident deserves dignity and equal protection. Yale is an institution rooted in this community, with immense resources and influence. It should stand with New Haven and its residents by refusing to allow political pressure to dictate policies that could affect its students and workers.' The Trump administration has also sued New Haven in an effort to overturn the city's 'sanctuary policies.' Theodore also stressed that Yale's potential settlement with the feds raises concerns of national, and not just local, significance. 'Yale is one of the country's defining institutions, and its choices help shape the intellectual and civic character of our city and nation,' he wrote. 'We should be concerned when political pressure threatens the independence of an institution of this significance. Alders should therefore make clear that New Haven values the independence of Yale and all of its educational institutions.' Theodore's letter concludes by calling on Yale President Paurie McInnis and the Yale Corporation 'to stand firm and defend the University through the appropriate legal and judicial processes.' In an email comment sent to the Independent, a Yale spokesperson wrote that it is the university's 'longstanding practice not to discuss the specifics of any ongoing legal matter. That said, we stand firm in the university's commitment to students' free expression, academic freedom, and Yale's ability to determine who is admitted in accordance with the law. We take inspiration from our current students and our thousands of alumni. Their wide range of perspectives, talents, aspirations, and experiences have deepened our community, and their achievements have confirmed the strength of Yale's admissions.' The Yale spokesperson also pointed back to McInnis' July 13 letter to the university community in which she committed to 'safeguarding academic freedom' amid Yale's talks with the Department of Justice. Click here to read about a recent student-faculty-alumni protest held on Yale's Cross Campus in opposition to a Trump deal, click here to read about Mayor Justin Elicker and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal rallying with Yalie's against a potential settlement, and click here to read a letter written by eight Yale-connected state lawmakers warning that a Trump deal could 'jeopardize' the university's tax exemption. See below, or click here, to read Theodore's proposed resolution in full. RESOLUTION OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS URGING YALE UNIVERSITY TO DEFEND ITS INSTITUTIONAL AUTONOMY AND NOT ENTER INTO A SETTLEMENT WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHEREAS: Yale University is New Haven's largest employer, largest landowner, and one of the City's most significant civic, educational, and economic institutions, and its students, faculty, staff, and alumni are our children, neighbors, workers, and constituents; and, WHEREAS: while the terms of any potential settlement between Yale University and the Trump Administration are not yet known, an agreement reached under significant federal pressure could affect the rights, opportunities, and security of Yale students and workers and could have broader economic and cultural consequences for the City of New Haven and the region; and, WHEREAS: the City of New Haven has sought to protect its immigrant neighbors, preserve access to food assistance and other essential programs, and defend the principle that every resident deserves dignity and equal protection; and, WHEREAS: Yale University is an institution deeply rooted in the New Haven community, with significant resources and influence, and its independence from political pressure is important to the educational, cultural, and civic life of the City and the nation; and, WHEREAS: thousands of Yale students, faculty, staff, and alumni have called upon the University to reject a settlement and defend its institutional autonomy. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Alders urging Yale University to defend its institutional autonomy and not to enter into a settlement with the Trump Administration that could compromise the University's independence or adversely affect its students, faculty, staff, workers, or the broader New Haven community; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Alders calls upon Yale University President Maurie McInnis and the Yale Corporation to stand firm and defend the University through the appropriate legal and judicial processes.