The Middle East Studies Association has joined a federal lawsuit alleging that the detention and deportation of pro-Palestinian activist Rumeysa Öztürk—carried out under top‑down orders from the Trump administration—violates First Amendment rights and is an act of retaliatory suppression of protected speech.

On March 25, 2025, the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), alongside the AAUP and the Knight First Amendment Institute, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy of arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen students and faculty for participating in pro-Palestinian protests, arguing that such practices violate First Amendment rights and create a climate of fear on university campuses.

On May 6, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Middle East Studies Association and its Committee on Academic Freedom issued a joint statement condemning the increasing use of local police and anti-riot squads in suppressing peaceful campus protests against the Gaza genocide. The statement also called for university divestment from companies profiting from or contributing to the Israeli military assault on Palestine, framing these actions as an attack on academic freedom.

The Middle East Studies Association's Board of Directors and its Committee on Academic Freedom issued a joint statement on March 11, 2024, condemning the ongoing genocidal violence and cultural destruction in Gaza. The statement decries the deliberate erasure of Palestinian history and calls for an immediate ceasefire, urging the United States to cease arms transfers to Israel and for international humanitarian action.

On November 21, 2023, the board of the Middle East Studies Association of North America sent a letter to President Biden urging an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as the lifting of the siege imposed by Israel. The letter also calls on the Biden administration to halt weapons transfers and financial support that may contribute to further violations of international humanitarian law.

The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) was expelled from George Washington University after endorsing a BDS resolution calling for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions. Critics have labeled the resolution as anti-Semitic and divisive, which led to the university severing ties with MESA.

The Middle East Studies Association’s members voted 768 to 167 to adopt a resolution joining the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The resolution condemns perceived human rights violations and seeks to hold the government accountable by targeting policies that restrict Palestinian freedom and academic access.

MESA’s Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF) is tasked with monitoring violations of academic freedom in the MENA region and North America. The committee addresses cases where academics are harassed, persecuted, or dismissed for their peaceful professional activities, and has protested state violence targeting educational institutions.