New York, MINA – A Columbia University student who participated in pro-Palestine protests is suing US President Donald Trump and other government officials for attempting to deport her, Palestine Chronicle reported.
“The government’s actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny,” attorneys for Yunseo Chung stated in a lawsuit filed on Monday.
Chung, 21, a legal permanent resident of the US, was arrested last month along with other students during a sit-in protest outside an academic building on campus. According to court papers shared by The New York Times, Chung was protesting against what she believed to be excessive punishments imposed by the university on student activists.
Despite being found “not in violation” of any university policy in a previous disciplinary process, she was arrested and issued a “Desk Appearance Ticket” for “obstruction of governmental administration,” a common citation at protests.
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Following her arrest, federal immigration authorities launched what the lawsuit describes as “unlawful efforts” to detain and deport Chung. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly signed an administrative arrest warrant for her on March 8. The following day, ICE agents visited her parents’ home, and on March 10, a federal law enforcement official informed her legal team that her residency status was being revoked.
By March 13, federal agents executed a judicial search warrant at Columbia University residences, including Chung’s dormitory, seeking immigration and travel records.
Chung’s lawsuit names Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and other officials. The lawsuit specifically accuses Rubio of ordering the revocation of her legal status.
Chung, who arrived in the US from South Korea at age seven, became a lawful permanent resident in 2021.
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Chung is not the only activist facing deportation efforts. Earlier this month, federal immigration agents detained Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, 30, for his involvement in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Khalil, also a lawful permanent resident, was informed that his green card was revoked and is now being held at an ICE detention center in Louisiana.
The Trump administration has defended these actions under new executive orders targeting what it describes as “anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist activities.” Trump himself called Khalil’s arrest “the first of many” and vowed to identify and deport other student activists.
Additionally, last week, Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national, was arrested and told his visa had been revoked. The Department of Homeland Security accused him of spreading “Hamas propaganda” on social media.
These actions signal an escalating crackdown on student activism as the US government intensifies its policies against pro-Palestinian demonstrations. []
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