The University of Minnesota exists to serve the people of this state — to educate, to protect, and to uphold human dignity. Right now, many in its community feel that mission is falling short.

In recent months, Minnesota has been shaken by an escalation of ICE activity, the killing of Renee Good, and the killing of Alex Pretti, a 2011 University of Minnesota graduate, by federal agents. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are grieving — and many are afraid. Yet official university messages have avoided naming what is happening or who is being harmed. Vague language cannot meet a moment this serious.

Universities are not just centers of research; they are moral institutions embedded in real communities. When members of those communities are targeted, injured, or killed, silence — or carefully neutral language — sends a message of distance rather than care.

We are calling on University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham and the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to take clear, principled action.

That begins with publicly and explicitly acknowledging the harm caused by recent ICE actions in Minnesota, including the killing of alumnus Alex Pretti, and affirming that violence against community members is unacceptable. It also means committing to transparency, not euphemisms, when communicating with students and employees who are directly affected.

The University should use its authority to protect campus spaces by limiting ICE access to university property except where legally required, refusing voluntary cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and ensuring that students and workers know their rights. It should also affirm the right of faculty, students, and artists to express grief and dissent without retaliation or censorship.

No one should live in fear, free expression is a right, and public institutions must show moral clarity when lives are lost.

The University of Minnesota has the opportunity — and the responsibility — to lead with courage, compassion, and honesty. We ask its leaders to meet this moment.