In the United States, a heightened wave of protests emerged on college campuses throughout spring 2024, advocating for Palestinian rights in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Protests intensified particularly following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in significant casualties and heightened tensions. At Stony Brook University in New York, a major demonstration culminated in the arrest of 29 students and faculty members in May 2024, as police forcibly dismantled an encampment set up by protesters advocating for divestment from Israel. The university justified the police presence by stating that protesters had been given a deadline to vacate the encampment by 11 p.m., which they failed to adhere to. This action drew condemnation, with accusations of suppression of student activism by university authorities, leading to allegations of civil rights infringements due to their reliance on local and state law enforcement. As a result, former student Ella Engel-Snow took legal action against Stony Brook University in response to the lack of transparency surrounding the internal communications and decisions made during the protest. Engel-Snow's lawsuit aims to acquire records detailing the coordination between the university's police, Suffolk police, and New York state troopers to understand better the context and decision-making factors that led to the mass arrests. She expressed concern over the university's obstruction of information transparency, which she believes is essential for accountability, especially regarding activism tied to critical social issues. Engel-Snow emphasized that such suppression of student voice impacts not only the current generation but also sets a concerning precedent for future activism at universities across the nation. The situation at Stony Brook reflects a broader pattern of administrators using established surveillance measures and the cooperation of fusion centers designed for counterterrorism under the guise of protecting campuses from perceived threats. Fusion centers have faced scrutiny for their role in monitoring peaceful protests, further blurring the lines between legitimate law enforcement and lawful protest. The implications of these actions not only raise concerns of civil liberties but amplify debates on the legitimacy of monitoring groups involved in advocacy, especially when positioned amidst national security narratives.