The University of Alabama College Democrats say school officials are “coddling” President Donald Trump with threats to discipline students who disrupt his speech in Tuscaloosa this week.

“We are aware that the university is desperately trying to coddle Trump’s ego as much as it can to stave off any threat of losing federal funding,” said Braden Vick, president of the UA chapter of the College Democrats, in an email to AL.com.

“It would be deeply unfortunate if the university blatantly violated the First Amendment to achieve this,” he added, “and it would certainly garner a much more hostile reaction from the public toward the university’s administration than what already exists.”

Ahead of Trump’s commencement address at Coleman Coliseum on Thursday evening, the university is warning attendees not to disrupt or heckle the president during his speech to graduating students.

Alex House, a spokesperson for the university, told AL.com that the university “outlined its attendance expectations for those who voluntarily elected to opt in for the ceremony.”

In a message to attendees, UA outlined expectations for Thursday’s event with Trump. Heckling, displaying signs, using noisemakers and other disruptions are not permitted, according to an image of the message shared with AL.com.

Students who break these rules are subject to discipline, including “expulsion, arrest, and/or an immediate campus ban,” said the message, which stressed the event is voluntary.

“Degrees may be held pending the outcome of student conduct proceedings,” the message reads.

Trump’s speech is a ticketed event, separate from other commencement activities, which are to be held the over the weekend.

House said rules for the speech were put in place in order to accommodate the “enhanced security measures” needed for the event.

“Exact disciplinary measures would be dependent upon the level of misconduct,” House said in an email to AL.com.

The UA College Democrats said they aren’t aware of, involved in or endorsing any plans to heckle Trump, whom they called a “whiny, childish autocrat.”

The group has already condemned Trump’s visit, particularly following the detainment of Alireza Doroudi, a Ph.D. student from Iran who was studying at the university. Doroudi was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month and taken to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Doroudi was a “national security concern,” though lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security told an immigration judge earlier this month that they did not have evidence to back up that claim.

“The Trump administration kidnapped one of our Ph.D. students for no reason a few weeks ago and is holding him without bond at an ICE black site in Louisiana,” UA Democrats said in a statement to WVTM. “There is no greater insult than this.”

Vick said the group plans to protest Trump’s appearance at Snow Hinton Park. Their demonstration “will not be affected” by the university’s warnings.

“We do not believe that any organizing efforts from other organizations or people would rise to such a level where the university should ever act on behalf of a whiny, childish autocrat,” Vick said in his email.

There will be designated areas where students and other individuals can “peacefully” demonstrate, House said. More details about those areas will be released, she said, as security is finalized.

The University of Alabama College Republicans called hosting Trump a “special honor.”

“We appreciate that the University of Alabama has remained committed to honoring the achievements of our students and will not allow the desire for disruption or divisiveness to overshadow this important milestone,” said Emma White, president of the UA College Republicans, in an email to AL.com

The event is ultimately a celebration of this year’s graduates, she said.

More than 24,000 people have signed a change.org petition demanding Trump’s speech be canceled.