ACLU of Texas, NCAC Urge University of North Texas to Apologize and Uphold Academic Freedom after Apparent Censorship of Art Exhibit Critical of ICE

CONTACT:
Kristi Gross, ACLU of Texas, [email protected]
Alex Finan, NCAC, [email protected]

DALLAS — The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the National Coalition Against Censorship today sent a joint letter to the University of North Texas (UNT) expressing concern following the university’s sudden removal of Victor Quiñonez’s exhibition, “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá (Not from Here, Nor from There).”

The exhibition explores themes of immigration, Latin American culture, and dual national identity, including works critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It was invited, installed, and opened at UNT’s College of Visual Art and Design Galleries on February 3. Although it was set to remain on view through May 3, within days of opening, the gallery windows were covered, promotional materials were removed from university platforms, and the artwork was taken down.

“This removal appears to be blatant censorship that denies students and the wider community the freedom to think for ourselves,” said Chloe Kempf (she/her), attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “Public universities are meant to foster critical thinking and open debate on a wide range of topics — including immigration, identity, and human rights — not shut down learning because it makes a few people uncomfortable. When administrators pick what viewpoints are acceptable, they not only threaten artistic freedom, but they also weaken students’ education and undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”

In the letter, the organizations warn that the cancellation of the exhibition raises serious First Amendment and academic freedom concerns. The letter notes that as a public university, UNT is bound by the First Amendment as well as its own policies prohibiting viewpoint discrimination. The organizations urge the university to apologize and to reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom and free expression.

“As one of the largest public art schools in the country, UNT’s stealthy, unexplained removal of an on-campus art exhibition that contains work critical of ICE is alarming,” said Elizabeth Larison (she/they), director of art and culture advocacy at the National Coalition Against Censorship. “This flagrant act of censorship not only disregards the expression of an acclaimed artist, it robs the campus community of the opportunity to engage in contemporary art addressing pressing topics.”

Access a copy of the letter here: https://www.aclutx.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Joint-Letter_-University-of-North-Texas-Quinonez.pdf