Columbia University student sues Trump administration amid potential deportation proceedings
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A U.S. permanent resident and Columbia University junior is suing the Trump administration as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempts to detain her for her participation in pro-Palestinian protests, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
A US permanent resident and Columbia University junior is suing the Trump administration as the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempts to detain her for removal proceedings after she participated in pro-Palestinian protests, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit is also looking to stop the “pattern and practice of targeting individuals associated with protests for Palestinian rights for immigration enforcement,” saying it is retaliation for protected political speech. Yunseo Chung, 21, is a permanent resident who has lived in the US since her family moved from South Korea when she was 7, according to the lawsuit. During her time at Columbia University, she has made it onto the Dean’s List every semester since enrolling and has maintained a 3.99 GPA, the lawsuit says. She has also been involved in the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review and pursued internships in the legal field, it says. Chung’s attorneys argue their client is one in a line of noncitizens, including Mahmoud Khalil and Ranjani Srinivasan, being punished by the Trump administration for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights. The lawsuit says the proceedings are being carried out through a policy adopted by the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security in which “they would retaliate against and punish noncitizens, including Ms. Chung, for their actual or perceived advocacy for Palestinian rights.” Chung participated in protests on campus against Israel’s war against Hamas, including visiting the encampment in 2024, but didn’t make “public statements to the press or otherwise assumed a high-profile role,” the lawsuit says. She faced disciplinary procedures for putting posters on university buildings that featured pictures of Columbia University Board of Trustees members with the words “Wanted for Complicity in Genocide,” but the university ultimately found she hadn’t violated any applicable policies, according to the lawsuit. On March 5, Chung participated in a student sit-in at the university to protest “excessive punishments meted out by the Columbia administration,” where she was arrested by the New York Police Department and given a desk appearance ticket for “obstruction of government administration.” The university placed her on “interim suspension due to the arrest and restricted her campus access,” the lawsuit says.
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