A 21-year old Columbia University student Yunseo Chung, living in the US since the age of seven, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attempted to deport her despite her lawful permanent resident status.
After Mahmoud Khalil, this is another student who said that the Trump administration has targeted her for deportation over her pro-Palestinian views.
The legal documents state that ICE subsequently pursued her, conducting searches at her family residence and university dormitory.
“ICE’s shocking actions against Chung form part of a larger pattern of attempted U.S. government repression of constitutionally protected protest activity and other forms of speech. The government’s repression has focused specifically on university students who speak out in solidarity with Palestinians and who are critical of the Israeli government’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza or the pro-Israeli policies of the US government and other US institutions,” the suit reads.
The Columbia junior is asking a judge to prevent the administration from detaining her, moving her out of New York City or removing her from the country while her lawsuit plays out.
Chung, a permanent resident from South Korea, said that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved to deport her after she was arrested March 5 while protesting the Ivy League school’s disciplinary actions against student protesters.
The legal action started on Monday after ICE obtained an administrative warrant for Chung’s arrest, informing the South Korean citizen of her status revocation, although such authority lies exclusively with immigration judges, The Hill reported.
Since 2023, Trump has repeatedly vowed to revoke visas of international students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests and criticize Israel’s war efforts.
