“College Student’s Impact on Tangible Policy Reform”

Writer: Gianna Dastoli

Editors: Gwen Ericson, Sanya Shah, Ashley Herrera

The Scarlet Forum Vol. 1 — May 2026

In the history of the United States, we can trace back student protests to the heart of this country’s formative movements, which have impacted and changed the trajectory of the world as we know it. Today, these forms of protest have taken on an urgent, renewed, and needed form. Currently, students are faced with various social, political, and economic barriers, such as militarized immigration raids threatening their peers and the suppression of their academic freedom. These threats have given students encouragement to yet again fuse their individual identities into impactful collective movements within their communities. Student identity is politicized by the uniquely intellectually collective setting of a college environment. This empowers students to resist authoritarian threats and achieve significant policy change through their sustained nonviolent mobilization.

The psychology of modern protests is deeply rooted in the concept of our individual and collective identities. According to P.G. Klanderman in his journal on Identity Politics and Politicized Identities, a politicized collective identity forms when people become involved in political protest on behalf of the group, then that group itself becomes politicized, making them, “engaged as mindful and self-conscious collective” (4). This type of collective identity, where individuals participate in the movements activities, the outreach becomes a satisfying experience that reinforces one’s place in society. This is even more strengthened when the interests of the group or principles they hold are threatened as this is used as their motivation to take part in protest to defend their identity (Klandermans, 2014). For university students, a transformation from an individual to collective identity and action, is "instrumental motivation” where participation serves as a tool to improve the situation of one’s own group when principles or peers are threatened (Klandermans, 6). The university environment itself is uniquely suited for this because it fosters the free exchange of ideas among like-minded individuals who live in close proximity to one another. This “homogenous social network” encourages participation with peers and organizations (Klandermans, 3). Consequently, a threat to one student, such as a peer facing unjust deportation, becomes a threat to the entire collective identity of the student body.

Amnesty International has documented a significant pattern of authoritarian practices aimed at shrinking civic space, including the targeting of universities and civil society. Currently the state and concern over our political and policy laden environment is described by Paul Obrien, Amnesty International’s Executive Director, as, “...a human rights emergency”(4). One of the most prominent examples of this are the threats of the Trump administration’s “Catch and Revoke” initiative. This program uses AI-driven surveillance tools like Babel X and Palantir’s immigration OS to scan social media and track the movements of foreign born students (30). In 2025 alone, the State Department revoked 8,000 student visas, often targeting those engaged in peaceful protest or expression. Just this past February at Columbia University, ICE agents impersonated police officers to enter the campus residence and detain student Ellie Aghayeva. Such actions create this human rights emergency as it forces students to advocate for their own safety and that of their peers as a matter of survival and demonstration against injustice.

Additionally, there was a recent development by the Trump administration where “Compact for Academic Excellence” used federal funding as a tool to pressure universities into abandoning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and restrict the rights of transgender students. With this is also the rising prices for housing, necessities, and healthcare which have created significant hurdles for students. CIRCLE research indicates that youth who struggle financially are less likely to participate in traditional civic groups, as participating often requires time and resources they do not possess (Booth & Medina, 7). These restrictions and revokings are being met with student movements like No Kings protests which have emerged to re-assert that ordinary Americans do not accept the types of policy change and exertion of power done by the elite class (Leingang, 4). Student movements are a part of a collective resistance that frequently draws on the tactics of NAACP and the Civil Rights Movement. Students are positioned to lead these charges or political advocation, as they are often more fearless or in “the middle of” the political actions being done. Students are described by Omekongo Dibing, a professor of peace, human rights and cultural relations, at American University to have, “...less to lose in the present but more to lose in the future” (Tamhane, 1). This platform for action allows students to engage in the “trifecta” of activism manifested in social media organizing, protesting on the streets, and boycotting. The scale of the 2026 “No Kings” protests, described to be “a sustained national resistance to tyranny” drew an estimated 8-9 million participants across 3,300 locations, demonstrates the sheer level of coordination and planning being done by ready young activists (Sozan, 1).

This student led movement and many like it in the pursuit of effective policy change is supported by the 3.5% rule. Political science research by Erica Chenoweth shows that when 3.5% of a population (which is approximately 12 million Americans) engages in sustained, nonviolent mobilization, it becomes near impossible for a government to ignore their demands (Sozan, 2026). We can see this exercise in recent news in Minnesota. Following the fatal shooting of civilians Renne Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officers this past January, a strong effort involving strikes, community upheaval, and involved protests effectively forced the Trump administration to reduce the number of federal agents in the state (Barnhart & Desjardins, 2026). This community togetherness also contributed to the firing of DHS Secretary Kristy Noem (Bustillo, 2026). This success of a community’s call for policy change shows that when those behind support of an administration, which boils down to our corporations, local politicians, begin to weaken in credibility or opposition against the wants of the people due to mass mobilization, the federal government is forced to give in, and listen to the demands of the people. Effectively put, people are stronger in numbers.

The path towards policy reform and political advocacy is plagued with economic and political barriers, student activists remain the “best mediums of their own experiences” (Today's Student Coalition, 1). Movements like “No Kings” and recent demonstrations for the pursuit of policy reform on campus and off, serve as a catalyst for organizing a movement that bridges the gap between mass defiance and local community building. Effectively, if we continue to use our personal identities as students to come together as one community identity, and make an effort to ensure our peers are treated justly, leaders will be held accountable and policy will remain a true reflection of the people’s needs rather than the whims of those in power.