Student from Columbia University files lawsuit against Trump administration amidst possible deportation processes.
Rewritten Article:
A Columbia University junior, Yunseo Chung, a permanent US resident, is taking the Trump administration to court as immigration authorities seek to deport her following her involvement in pro-Palestinian protests, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday. The lawsuit aims to halt "the targeted enforcement of noncitizens associated with protests for Palestinian rights," which the suit alleges is retaliation for protected political speech.
Chung, 21, has lived in the US since her family moved from South Korea when she was 7 years old. The lawsuit indicates that she has consistently excelled academically, making the Dean's List every semester and maintaining a GPA of 3.99. She has also been an active member of Columbia Undergraduate Law Review and pursued legal internships.
Chung's attorneys argue that she is part of a line of individuals, such as Mahmoud Khalil and Ranjani Srinivasan, being penalized by the Trump administration for supporting Palestinian rights. The proceedings, they contend, are a result of a policy adopted by the Departments of State and Homeland Security where noncitizens, including Chung, are targeted for their advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Though Chung participated in campus protests against Israel's conflict with Hamas, she did not make headlines or assume a prominent role in the media, the lawsuit states. She was disciplined by the university for putting up posters on university buildings with pictures of board members and the words "Wanted for Complicity in Genocide," but was ultimately found not to have violated any university policies.
On March 5, Chung participated in a student sit-in protesting "excessive punishments meted out by the Columbia administration," for which she was arrested by the New York Police Department and issued a desk appearance ticket for "obstruction of government administration." The university placed her on interim suspension and restricted her campus access.
An ICE official signed an administrative arrest warrant for Chung on March 8, and ICE officials visited her parents' residence the next day in search of her. A federal law enforcement official informed Chung's counsel on March 10 that her legal permanent resident status was being revoked.
On March 13, federal prosecutors executed search warrants at two Columbia University residences, including Chung's dorm, in search of her affiliation with the university, travel records, and immigration documents.
The lawsuit names President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons, and New York ICE Acting Field Office Director William P. Joyce as defendants.
In a statement to CNN, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson commented that Chung "is being sought for removal proceedings under the immigration laws." The spokesperson added, "Chung will have an opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge."
Chung's attorneys ask the court to prevent the defendants from enforcing any immigration actions against their client and to declare the policy of targeting noncitizens for removal based on First Amendment-protected speech and advocacy for Palestinian rights as unconstitutional.
"The government's actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny. Simply put, immigration enforcement - here, immigration detention and threatened deportation - may not be used as a tool to punish noncitizen speakers who express political views disfavored by the current administration," Chung's attorneys state in the lawsuit.
While immigration law allows the Secretary of State broad discretion to refuse entry or deport non-citizens if there are potential adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, the statute prohibits such actions based on "past, current or expected beliefs" that would be lawful in the United States, the lawsuit explains.
According to the DHS spokesperson, ICE Homeland Security Investigations will investigate individuals engaging in activities supporting Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization. If their findings deem it necessary, the Department of State may revoke visas or take other actions affecting the immigration status of an individual in the US. However, there is no evidence indicating that these actions are specifically tied to political speech on Palestinian rights.
- Yunseo Chung, a US resident and Columbia University junior, is being sued by her against the Trump administration as they seek to deport her due to her participation in pro-Palestinian protests.
- Chung's legal team argues that she is being targeted by the Trump administration, alongside individuals like Mahmoud Khalil and Ranjani Srinivasan, for advocating for Palestinian rights.
- The attorneys for Chung asked the court to prevent the defendants from enforcing any immigration actions against their client, claiming that the policy of targeting non-citizens for removal based on First Amendment-protected speech and advocacy for Palestinian rights is unconstitutional.
