Red State Governors Are Designating Civil Rights Groups as Terrorists

In our new blog post, Darryl Li and I call attention to a dangerous new development: red states are purporting to "designate" civil rights groups as terrorists. Like the Trump administration, the governors are targeting their critics as "terrorists." knightcolumbia.org/blog/red-sta...

Red State Governors Are Designating Civil Rights Groups as Terrorists

In a new blog post, @ssinnar.bsky.social and Darryl Li explain recent efforts in Texas and Florida to designate civil rights groups as terrorists that could lay the groundwork for even more state-level authoritarianism. knightcolumbia.org/blog/red-sta...

Here’s why Trump gets away with simply labeling his enemies ‘terrorists’ OPINION: Trump’s attempts to redefine terrorism to fit his agenda are the outgrowth of a selective concept that political actors have been carrying out for decades, Shirin Sinnar writes.

"It is long past time to rein in not only counterterrorism,
but also the concept of terrorism that fuels it." My op-ed in today's SF Chronicle on how Trump draws on a concept of terrorism that has been racialized & selective from the beginning. www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

“As the Trump admin asserts national security powers to target foreign and domestic enemies at unprecedented scale, the Supreme Court will have to decide whether there truly are no limits to the racialized security state it has unleashed.” My new essay in Daedalus, www.amacad.org/daedalus/sup...

I was happy to moderate this conversation on how Orientalism, the masterpiece of Palestinian American intellectual Edward Said, revolutionized academic inquiry around the world. Said's message to speak to power resonates even louder today.

Whose Common Sense?

Read this brilliant essay by my colleague, immigration law expert Jennifer Chacon, on the Supreme Court's shadow docket decision effectively permitting racial profiling in immigration raids: verfassungsblog.de/noem-ice-sup...

The Student Newspaper Suing Marco Rubio Over Targeted Deportations The Stanford Daily argues the First Amendment protects journalists from arcane laws used against Mahmoud Khalil and Rümeysa Öztürk.

'“It’s gratifying to see a student newspaper upholding free speech at a time when many institutions are bending the knee,” said Shirin Sinnar, a law professor at Stanford.

theintercept.com/2025/08/26/s...

Abstract of law review article

My latest article, on how organizers & lawyers in three cities sought to “flood the courts” to protect homeless people and renters facing eviction. law.stanford.edu/wp-content/u...

The Real Threat of the Nonprofit “Terrorism” Provision in Trump’s Big Bill The Trump administration has already wielded the “terrorist” label to stigmatize and strip rights from student activists and migrants.

My new op-ed about the terrorism provision slipped into the budget bill: "At a time of growing American authoritarianism, the last thing Congress should be doing is granting new powers to the president to destroy civil society groups that stand in his way."
slate.com/news-and-pol...

If your university is claiming it can't support noncitizen students for legal reasons, see this new legal analysis out from @aaup.bsky.social. www.aaup.org/news/institu...

Thank you to all who have donated or spread the word! There are just a few hours left to take advantage of the matching funds.

Today's the first #StanfordDayofGiving. All donations are doubled for the next 24 hours, and you can direct your money to a specific part of campus. The Markaz Resource Center is a lifeline for many on campus. Please donate at dayofgiving.stanford.edu/campaigns/th....

Stanford is notably absent from this statement from hundreds of colleges and universities against "the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education." www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...

Trump’s Pardons: Political Violence, Hate Groups, and the Rule of Law | Stanford Law School

In the latest episode of the Stanford Legal Podcast, Pamela Karlan is joined by Stanford Law School Professor @ssinnar.bsky.social and former DOJ prosecutor Brendan Ballou to discuss Trump’s pardons and the rule of law. Listen to the episode here: law.stanford.edu/stanford-leg...

My op-ed: "Colleges and universities ... seem to be hoping that their muted responses — and affirmative acquiescence — will spare them. ...This sort of acquiescence will not only fail to protect institutions, but will expose all of us to further repression."
stanforddaily.com/2025/01/28/f...

Trump's Mass Anti-Immigrant Raids to Begin Here are action items to protect your immigrant neighbors, answers to common FAQs, and insights to debunk anti-immigrant propaganda

NYT reporting mass immigrant ICE raids have begun in Chicago.

I'm an immigrant & Chicago based human rights lawyer. I wrote this on how to handle ICE, actions to protect our immigrant neighbors, & debunking anti-immigrant hate.

No paywall. Please share widely. www.qasimrashid.com/p/trumps-mas...

My just published article in U. Chicago Legal Forum on how terrorism charges replicate the severity of historical treason charges, but with few of the constraints: legal-forum.uchicago.edu/print-archiv...

Brilliant!

Title VI, Palestine, and the Interpretation of Speech

Decades-long political pressure to avoid studying or speaking out on Palestine within academia make it harder to fairly resolve Title VI complaints today. My blog post here: knightcolumbia.org/blog/title-v...