A Columbia University student has sued President Donald Trump and other top administration officials after they attempted to revoke her permanent resident status and remove her from the United States.
A lawsuit was filed Monday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) got an administrative warrant for 21-year-old Yunseo Chung’s arrest and told the South Korean native that her status was being “revoked.”
The lawsuit alleges that the administration is “part of a larger pattern of attempted U.S. government repression of constitutionally protected protest activity.”
“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 U.S. government and other U.S. institutions,” the suit reads.
Student protesters march around their encampment on the Columbia University campus, Monday, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
The suit names Trump as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons and Acting Field Office Director of the New York ICE William Joyce.
“The government’s actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny,” the suit says. “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.”
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The suit says that Chung is a junior at the Ivy League institution with a promising future ahead of her after graduating as valedictorian at her high school. She arrived in the United States legally during her father’s graduate studies. The lawsuit notes that she has maintained a 3.99 GPA.
Chung has been involved in the pro-Palestinian protests on campus but has not spoken to the press or been in a high-profile position like Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student and legal immigrant who is facing deportation.
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Her name was mentioned in media reports after participating in a protest on March 5. She was arrested for alleged “obstruction of governmental administration,” but the university cleared her of wrongdoing during disciplinary proceedings related to her protest activities.
It was soon after, the lawsuit alleges, that ICE came after her, went to her family’s home to look for her and searched her dorm room.
“Now, officials at the highest echelons of government are attempting to use immigration enforcement as a bludgeon to suppress speech that they dislike, including Ms. Chung’s speech,” they said.
On Tuesday, a federal court put a temporary restraining order on ICE, saying it cannot arrest and deport Chung. The expiry of the order will be decided by another court order.
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Student protesters gather in protest inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, Monday, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
The lawsuit alleges the government is going after her freedom of speech and using the justification that the administration deems her a threat to foreign policy to try to revoke her status.
The Trump administration has made clear it will go after foreign students who participate in the pro-Palestinian protests, labeling them “pro-Hamas.”
“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you,” Trump is quoted in a fact sheet issued by the White House. “I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
Pro-Palestine protestors demonstrate outside of Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Multiple students were arrested as officers cleared an encampment on the campus’ lawn. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)
In a statement to Fox News, a senior U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that Chung “engaged in concerning conduct,” but will have the opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge.
“ICE HSI will investigate individuals engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization,” they said. “Based on investigative findings, the Department of State may make a determination which may result in visa revocation or other action impacting the immigration status of an alien in the U.S. Upon the determination from the Department of State, ICE will take appropriate enforcement actions.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Chung’s lawyer, Naz Ahmad, the White House and ICE for comment.
Fox News’ Brendan McDonald contributed to this report.