After years of organizing and pressure from students, WWU’s historic new investment policy bans investments in genocide, ethnic cleansing, weapons manufacturing, fossil fuels and more.

On Monday, June 1st, the Divest Apartheid Coalition will be submitting a request to the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing demanding that WWU divests from JP Morgan. WWU’s investment in JP Morgan blatantly violates the Socially Responsible Investing policy that was passed last spring, which states that “Investing practices should reflect the university’s mission and values, including diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability.”

The Socially Responsible Investing policy states that WWU shall not invest in:

*Fossil fuel extraction, production, and refinement;

*Tobacco production and manufacturing; and devices used for the consumption of tobacco products;

*Weapons production and adaptations including, but not limited to, militarized surveillance systems, drone technology and bomb development or manufacturing, and

*Human rights violations (i.e. acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, modern slavery, Indigenous rights violations, and other violations).

JP Morgan invests in ALL of these things.

1. MONEY FOR GENOCIDE AND WAR CRIMES:

WWU’s investment in JP Morgan-Chase violates the SRI policy through JP’s practice of funding and supporting genocide and war crimes. JP is a major shareholder in Elbit systems, who is one of the top contractors of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as the Israeli military. On February 11, 2026 - JP Morgan Chase & Co filed a quarterly report disclosing ownership of 58,738 shares of Elbit Systems. This is valued at $33,933,530 USD as of December 31, 2025. Elbit’s drone technology --the Hermes 450-- has become the “primary platform” of the Israeli military in its “counter-terror operations,” according to the company. In April 2024, a Hermes 450 drone was used to attack three vehicles belonging to World Central Kitchen near Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of seven aid workers who were managing food shipments.

Just recently in January 2026, cashing in on negligent regulations and looking to profit from US aggression in Iran, JP Morgan declared open season for the investment of its funds in defense.

“Previously, shareholders were restricted to a 10% revenue threshold for conventional weapons exposure, as well as restrictions on investment related to nuclear weapons” (Association of Investment Companies 2026). In January JP Morgan Chase lifted these restrictions on investments in both conventional and nuclear weapons. This recent news proves that JP Morgan Chase continues to prioritize profit during war, and will continue to work in the best interest of capitalism and imperialism.

2. CONTINUAL FINANCING AND EXPANSION OF FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY:

JP Morgan Chase was the world’s top fossil fuel financier in 2024, contributing $53.5 B, a 39% increase from 2023. JP is also the #1 bank for fossil fuel expansion, putting $27B into pipelines, oil fields, and tankers in 2024.

3. VIOLATION OF INDIGENOUS RIGHTS:

They directly financed the Dakota Access Pipeline.

From a report by NPR in March 2017, according to Securities and Exchange filings, JP Morgan Chase had loaned $275,000,000 USD to Energy Transfer Partners, the company in charge of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

4. COMPLICITY IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

After Jeffrey Epstein was convicted in 2008, JP Morgan kept him as a client until 2013, and even after Epstein was removed from JP Morgan’s client list, JP Morgan still kept business ties with him.

Two of JP Morgan’s managing directors, Justin Nelson and Paul Barrett, maintained close relationships with Epstein, scheduling multiple meetings with him and keeping him as a business partner.

5. FINANCIAL BACKING OF ICE CONTRACTORS:

In 2024, JP Morgan received an award for its partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group, JP Morgan provided a total of $14,998,000 USD (Yes, MILLION!) to four ICE contractors from 2020-2025. These contractors include General Dynamics Corp., L3Harris Technologies Inc., CACI International Inc, and AT&T inc. These companies provided ICE with surveillance tech, IT support, and telecommunications services. In particular, General Dynamics provided ICE with a surveillance system with personal information that ICE used to deport 450,000 people.

JP Morgan Chase has provided more money to ICE contractors from 2020-2025 than any other bank worldwide.

6. RACIST LENDING PRACTICES:

In 2017, JP Morgan was forced to pay $53 million in a settlement fund to Black and Hispanic borrowers. The courts determined that JP Morgan had extracted wealth from an estimated 50,000 Black and Hispanic borrowers by making them pay higher mortgage rates and fees than white borrowers.

IT’S TIME TO ACT.

WWU holds $1,000,000 USD of JP Morgan issued bonds as of March 31st 2025.
Last spring, WWU committed to the socially responsible investing policy that was created through the ACSRI. As students at this university, it is up to us to hold them accountable to the values set forth in this policy.

We are part of a global movement, and together we are changing the tide. Since the encampment in May of 2024, deadly conditions in Palestine have only ramped up. A law passed on April 1st in Tel Aviv, makes it legal for the State of Israel to hang Palestinian prisoners, based on "intent to deny the existence of the State of Israel." This is just one example of the worsening conditions for Palestinians in their occupied homeland.

We have a responsibility as students in the imperial core, to continue to hold our administration accountable and apply sustained pressure until divestment.

It was only through the action of students, staff and faculty that we were able to hold WWU to account and establish the Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investment. Now we need YOU to help us utilize this avenue in order to divest from a company embroiled in genocide, Indigenous rights violations, sexual violence, and white supremacy.

All over the country, the student movement for Palestinian liberation and divestment are facing increasing repression under the Trump administration and Project Esther. Many schools do not have avenues for divestment available to pursue. Given that we have a SRI committee established, it is especially important that we maintain momentum and pressure to hold WWU accountable to the commitments that they have made. We can’t do this without you!

For this request to pass, we have a goal to gather 1,000 signatures from students, staff, and faculty. Please help us meet and surpass our goal by June 1st!

NOTE: Please only sign this petition if you are a WWU student, staff member, or faculty member.