Critical Response Team (CRT) Blog

It’s been about 2 weeks since we’ve sent a newsletter out, for many reasons, mostly just being overwhelmed with the continued pace of information and coming to the end of the semester. As you likely noticed, we are switching the newsletter to a blog to increase access and create a searchable archive. In addition, we want to let you all know that we will be working over the summer; however, less frequently. You can expect at least one newsletter a month over the summer at the end of May, June, and July. Make sure you stay connected, as we will have an event this summer planned by students for students. The event that was held on 4/26 was a meaningful and really good day. We started the day engaging in conversation and some drawing and coloring. Then our arts organizer, Kat Goodman, shared some suggestions for developing language and designs to develop signs related to our passions during this time. Please see the amazing posters that were made that day:

After posters, Maya Stackhouse led us in a somatic healing practice. It’s hard to fully put into words that experience. It was the first time I had joined in a somatic group practice, and it was exactly the thing I needed, I didn’t know I needed. If you weren’t able to join us and have been seeking somatic practice, Dr. AT recorded this video:

Please consider engaging this activity in community with others, even if you jump on a zoom or teams meeting together, somatic healing needs community! Next Chris Tyler, the student liaison to the CRT faculty group provided a short training on safety during protest. Dr. G and I (Erin Boyce) sat next to each other and marveled at how knowledgeable you all are as students, we were taking notes and learning from you all, it just reminded me that we are in this together, and how important it continues to be that we move in solidarity with one another. Finally, we wrapped up our time together in conversation, debriefing the day and talking about some of our hopes for this community. Here is just a small sampling of that conversation, we really hope that you all will join us over the summer so that we can learn more about your hopes and passions, too.  

As noted, this team will continue to work through the summer to keep you updated on ongoing policy and practice impacts related to higher education, immigration, the economy, and health & human services (along with anything else that might be relevant to our work as social workers or continued presence in higher education). Those of you about to graduate next week, please join us. This group is open to all BSSW and MSW students, including alumni. If you were hoping for a way to stay connected to MSU Denver post-grad, join us! The intention of the student group is to create a community of social work students who can support one another through safety needs, mutual aid support and taking action to protect vulnerable communities. While protest is a part of our resistance, it is only one part of what is needed. We are needed to provide resources, we can write letters, create post card and phone call campaigns, we can speak out, we can start petitions, we can hold community workshops and build networks, and beyond. The intention of the faculty and staff is to stay engaged, provide information, and support with resources the needs of the students to continue to build this group of social workers in seeking justice.  

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Erin Boyce, [email protected] or Chris Tyler, [email protected] to find out how to get involved, to share feedback, or to get your questions answered. 

What’s Happening?

So much has happened since the last newsletter that it feels nearly impossible to provide a report on everything here. Therefore, rather than a full narrative as we wrap up this Spring semester, we will provide some overarching context for what’s happening within the realm of higher education, immigration, the intersection of education and immigration, the war in Gaza, and the economy with multiple links and sources that you can take some time to review to become more informed. This link will take you to Presidential Actions – The White House, while I acknowledge that the White House is no longer a place to find archival information, they are keeping a tally and archive of all executive orders signed since January 20, 2025. Please only take in what you can, as you can. You don’t need to consume all this information at one time or even take it all in ever. As noted earlier, as we’ve have now passed the first 100 days of this administration, there is no sign of a slowing down of the continued dismantling of so many programs and resources that we depend on, no slowing down on the censoring of speech and attempts to control information and knowledge sharing from higher education to government (i.e. tax payer funded) research and innovation, and no slowing down on deportations including US citizen children. I’ve heard the excuses, the hypocrisy of it all, it’s head spinning, head exploding at times. And we fight this through our consistency. Don’t let them make you a hypocrite too. Be consistent in all things, get grounded in your values and live them out every day. Don’t waver in your consistency, say what you mean and mean what you say.  

We are still waiting for the Trump administration to ensure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, in an interview this weekend Donald Trump stated that he is waiting on the attorney general to advise him on being about to bring him home, despite Trump stating that he could bring him back if he wanted to. It’s inconsistent, it’s dishonest, and it is direct defiance of the courts. I will be honest; this undoing of due process is very concerning and will be watching closely how the courts proceed. It will also be important to watch the case of the judge who was arrested for obstructing federal authorities for allowing an undocumented person to leave her courtroom through a side door. And a retired New Mexico judge, his wife, and daughter who were also arrested on charges of “harboring an [undocumented person].” How does a supreme court hold accountable the person they also deemed above the law when acting within the official capacity of the office of the president? We will soon know the answer to this question, and it will have resounding impacts on the future of democracy and the role of shared governance between the three bodies of our government. It has been reported that the rescinding of student visas is on hold, and that more than 1500 international students have had their visas reinstated, as the state department develops a more robust plan for determining who stays, who goes, and who gets to come in. We will keep an eye on this, in the meantime, on the College Matters podcast last week, they talked about these revocations and their rippling effect. This link will take you to the Student Visa tracker from the Chronicle of Higher Education.  

You may have heard that Harvard University is fighting back against the actions of the administration which has made many demands in exchange for reinstated funding streams. Harvard is refusing to allow the federal government to articulate what can and cannot be taught on university campuses and are fighting not just for academic and intellectual freedom, but for the very core right of free speech and free assembly, held in the 1st amendment to the constitution. In addition, higher education is being impacted by executive orders that will impact the way in which universities are accredited, this article provides a good overview How an Accreditation War Could Start. In relationship to accreditation, DEI continues to be a reason for many of the executive orders being issued related to higher education from accreditation to tying university funding to the complete erasure of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and language from the university space President Trump’s Executive Order Bashes College Accreditors, Blames DEI for Poor Outcomes. 

Two weeks ago, in response to the Trump administrations actions against institutions of higher education over 200 university presidents and deans signed a call for constructive engagement, President Davidson was one of those signatures, to read the letter and see the signees, link here: A Call for Constructive Engagement | AAC&U. Here are the policy updates and campus impacts for MSU Denver in the last two weeks:  

Federal Policy Updates  

• The National Institute of Health announced updated terms for new and renewal grants issued starting today. The new terms stipulate that grant recipients must not operate any programs that “advance or promote DEI, DEIA, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws” or engage in a “discriminatory prohibited boycott” during the term of the grant  

• “Discriminatory prohibited boycott” refers specifically to limitations on dealings with Israeli companies.
  

MSU Denver Impacts  

• These updated terms do not apply to MSU Denver’s NIH grants that are currently funded. At this time, these rules will only apply should the University seek new, renewal, continuation, or supplementary funding from NIH.  

• We are actively monitoring for legal challenges to the NIH’s new policy  

• Our General Counsel is engaging with the Colorado Attorney General’s office to see about possible collective action   

Federal Policy Updates  

• Auraria Campus may be the subject of upcoming briefings by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Colorado Advisory Committee focused on “examining campus antisemitism”  

• At a meeting on May 8, the Colorado Advisory Committee will vote on a proposal to include the Auraria Campus in the nationwide probe  

• The U.S. Department of Justice has reinstated legal status for the 1,500+ international students who have seen their records disappear from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) in recent weeks  
• DOJ indicated they are working on a new system for reviewing records of international students and academics working in the U.S. and that visa records will be restored until the new system is complete.

Resources

• We have shared this newsletter before; however, I am going to share the most recent issue as it provides a great overview of everything shared here with additional resources and information: Letters from an American, May 4, 2025 

• Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance is also a good daily resource for staying apprised, link here for Joyce’s most recent call to action.  

• Need a pick me up, check out the article from The Contrarian 100 days of…Resistance!, this provides an overview of all the of the ways people, organizations, and communities are resisting the administration and executive orders, as well as the blatant corruption within in our government: 100 Days of…Resistance! – by Norman Eisen – The Contrarian 

• Short on time but want to stay informed The Democracy Index is meant for people with less time to devote to following what Trump is doing to our country, but who still want to understand what it all means. We’re finding that everyone appreciates the summary. Sometimes, so much happens in a single week that by the end, it’s hard to remember it all. We draw the throughlines that help you focus on what’s most important. 

• I came across this, this week and it really spoke to me, so I wanted to share it with you all. I hope that you can find some commonality and validation from this, as I did.  

“Something else that keeps surfacing in conversations with fellow therapists and healers is the tension of being both witness and participant in a world on fire. We’re navigating burnout, grief, systemic violence—and then showing up to hold others through the same storms. 

❌ This isn’t a sign that you’re not being an effective therapist. This isn’t a personal shortcoming either… 

✅ This is a reflection of living and working within a system that asks us to care endlessly -while most of the time- offering little care in return. 

In liberatory work, we aren’t separate from what we’re unlearning. We’re not exempt from contradictions. We may be carrying the same intergenerational trauma, the same weight of injustice, and the same longing for rest that our clients do. 

To do this work decolonially means refusing to pathologize our own capacity and instead honoring the relational and political nature of our exhaustion. It means telling the truth: that even our uncertainty, our grief, our stuckness—can be sacred material for healing. So, if you’re tired, you’re not alone. And you don’t need to carry it all alone either. 

In community and shameless uncertainty 💛 

https://www.seventhselfconsulting.com/decolonize-your-practice 

For more of this kind of message, you can read previous Liberatory Letters here. 

• Here is a national tracker of protests, it also comes with a daily newsletter I’ve found really helpful these last few months. This will be a great resource over the summer.  

• https://open.substack.com/pub/joycevance/p/protests-across-the-country?r=2ls7bi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email 

• Here is a resource guide that provides a look at education in the US and how we can take action to save it. Take Action Today, a resource guide from The Council for Opportunity in Education: Take Action Now – Council for Opportunity in Education 

• If you haven’t done so yet please join the student Discord. For directions to access Discord please contact Chris Tyler ([email protected]) for details.  

• Please see the linked flyer for upcoming opportunities for those with questions about immigration and deportations to meet with immigration lawyers free of cost.  

• TEI has a new offering focused on using our feelings to heal. Note that there is a cost for this; however, if a group of students and/or faculty and staff wanted to participate together, we may be able to get a reduced price and if you want to join as an individual, this group never turns anyone away for the inability to pay, so it can be free or discounted, just connect with the org. Here is the TEI invitation with a link to register:  

• “Feeling is what’s going to generate the energy to change the conditions in which we live.” Even in the midst of chaos, we want the choice to take purposeful action, to reclaim our bodies, and to keep moving towards aliveness together. 

• TEI’s newest offering is organized around this belief. Why Feel? Healing Our Lineages and Transforming Our Communities is a new self-guided workshop that invites you to deepen into personal and collective transformation as the grounds for lasting change in the relationships we nurture, the spaces we inhabit, and the institutions that shape our world.  

• Why Feel? Is available now starting at $150, with scholarships and group discounts available too. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Now is an excellent time to organize a practice pod and start moving towards purposeful action together. 

• The Central Florida Freethought Community shared this on May 4, 2025, which includes resources and access to a website, Mobilize, that will keep you up to date on actions being taken to ensure the separation of church and state.  

• The National Day of Reason was created as a thoughtful, inclusive alternative to the National Day of Prayer which falls on the first Thursday in May. At its heart, the Day of Reason is a call to uphold the wall of separation between religion and government, and to remind our leaders that policies should be driven by logic, data, and compassion—not religious dogma. 

This year’s Day of Reason observance comes at a time of growing concern. We’ve seen an increase in religious influence in our laws—from attacks on reproductive rights to efforts to bring prayer into public schools and push religious ideology into classrooms. It’s more important than ever for secular voices to speak up, stand together, and show that reason still has a vital role to play in shaping a just society. 

So as you raise your lightsaber—or a nightcap—in celebration today, we invite you to also take a moment to reflect, engage, and even take action. Whether that means writing your elected officials, planning a local event, or simply sharing your values with someone new, you’re helping build a more reasoned, inclusive, and equitable future. 

To learn more, or to see how others are celebrating, visit: National Day of Reason. Here are some groups making it clear that we need to reverse our current course: 50501, MoveOn, Indivisible, or search for events at Mobilize. And remember: In Reason We Trust. 

• Join AFT for updates on local and national actions as well as other ways to get involved and take action.