Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Columbia Protester Advocating Anti-Israel Stance
Federal judge blocks Trump administration's attempt to deport Columbia student involved in anti-Israel protest.
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident, amid ongoing deportation efforts tied to her participation in an anti-Israel demonstration earlier this year. The ruling handed down by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald places stringent restrictions on ICE’s ability to take Chung into custody, requiring the agency to secure court approval before any such action and affording Chung’s attorneys a 72-hour notice to contest any potential detention that may be seen as retaliation for protected speech under the First Amendment.
Chung, originally from South Korea and living in the United States since the age of seven, came under scrutiny after federal agents attempted to arrest her in March. The government contends that her involvement in the protest could have serious foreign policy implications, but her legal team maintains that she was a participant, not an organizer or leader, and had not engaged in high-profile activities or made public statements at the event. Court documents emphasize that she merely "visited" the Gaza Solidarity Encampment established at the heart of campus.
The court’s order ensures that Chung will remain free while her case moves forward through the judicial process. This development comes as significant relief to campus activists and civil liberties advocates who see the attempt to deport Chung as a direct challenge to freedom of speech and the rights of protestors, particularly those advocating for Palestinian causes. Ramzi Kassem, a member of her legal team, called the judge’s decision “a win not just for Yunseo and for the legions of people who stand up for Palestinians... but also for freedom of speech and the rule of law in our country.”
Chung’s lawsuit, filed earlier this year, asserts that the government’s pursuit of her immigration status is an "unjustifiable assault" on her First Amendment rights. According to the complaint, federal law enforcement officials appeared at her parents’ home with an administrative arrest warrant and searched her dormitory as part of their efforts to detain her. She was never charged or disciplined in connection with the original encampment protest at Columbia; however, she was arrested at Barnard College during a later demonstration. Her attorneys argue that such arrests are common for student protesters in New York City and seldom result in prosecution.
As of now, Chung continues her studies at Columbia, where she is a double major in English and women’s and gender studies and holds one of the highest academic standings in her class. The outcome of her legal challenge is expected to set a precedent for similar cases, as other students facing deportation over protest activity watch closely.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pursued deportation proceedings against other Columbia students allegedly involved in anti-Israel activism, intensifying the debate over how far the government may go in responding to campus protests and demonstrations amid the wider national conversation on free speech, immigration enforcement, and foreign policy concerns.
