A Columbia University student has claimed she is being targeted for deportation by the Trump administration due to her pro-Palestinian stance and activism. Yunseo Chung, who holds lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. since arriving as a child from South Korea, has filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing their actions mirror those used on other student activists like Mahmoud Khalil.
Chung, 21, was arrested on March 5 during a protest against her university’s treatment of student protestors. The sit-in at Barnard College resulted in several student arrests, including Chung, who claims ICE quickly sought her deportation. According to her lawsuit, ICE issued an administrative arrest warrant shortly after her arrest, seeking her detention at her family’s home. On March 10, a federal law enforcement official informed her attorney that Chung’s resident status was being “revoked.” Subsequently, on March 13, law enforcement agents searched Columbia-owned properties, including her dormitory, for immigration and travel-related documents.
Chung is contesting ICE’s moves by seeking judicial intervention to block actions to deport noncitizens involved in campus protests against Israel’s operations in Gaza. Her lawsuit views these moves as part of a broader pattern of government repression against free speech. According to the lawsuit, high-ranking governmental officials are using immigration laws punitively against speech they oppose, such as Chung’s pro-Palestinian sentiments.
The Department of Homeland Security commented that Chung was arrested amid a pro-Hamas demonstration and is subject to removal proceedings under immigration law, assuring she will have her day in immigration court.
Her case relates to the experiences of five other students, including Cornell University’s Momodou Taal, who are also fighting immigration authorities’ attempts to deport them. Taal, a United Kingdom and Gambia citizen, is facing revocation of his student visa for his alleged participation in protests. His legal representative argues that the administration’s actions undermine First Amendment rights.
CEC, a Columbia University student, and other international students and academics have had visas revoked or face entry blocks due to their political expressions in solidarity with Palestinians. This is underpinned by a rarely used legal provision allowing visa revocation based on perceived threats to U.S. foreign policy interests.
In another high-profile incident, Khalil, a Columbia graduate student, faced detention due to his active role in campus protests. The administration has alleged Khalil’s actions equated to anti-Israel sentiment and support for recognized terrorist entities like Hamas. Further charges against him include nondisclosure of his affiliations and professional engagements, although his attorney argues these claims require substantial evidential backing.
Similar issues have arisen across academia, with individuals at institutions such as Georgetown University and Brown University’s medical school experiencing visa-related impediments due to their political activities.