In brief
U.S. District Judge William Young ruled against the Trump administration's immigration policy that sought to deport noncitizens who protested the Gaza war, labeling it unconstitutional. This decision supports university associations' claim that such actions undermine free speech, reminiscent of McCarthy-era repression. Legal testimonies highlighted that the administration targeted individuals based on their political views regarding Israel and Palestine. The ruling emphasizes the importance of protecting lawful political expression in academic environments.
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration's efforts to deport noncitizens for protesting the war in Gaza was unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge William Young in Boston agreed with several university associations that the policy they described as ideological deportation violates the First Amendment. The ruling came after a trial.
An email to the Homeland Security department for comment was not immediately returned.
During the trial, lawyers for the associations presented witnesses who testified that the Trump administration had launched a coordinated effort to target students and scholars who had criticized Israel or showed sympathy for Palestinians.
“Not since the McCarthy era have immigrants been the target of such intense repression for lawful political speech,” Ramya Krishnan, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute, told the court. “The policy creates a cloud of fear over university communities, and it is at war with the First Amendment.”
Lawyers for the Trump administration attempted to refute these claims, asserting that there was no policy for ideological deportation as the plaintiffs allege. “There is no policy to revoke visas on the basis of protected speech,” Victoria Santora stated, emphasizing compliance with immigration laws.
John Armstrong, the senior bureau official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, provided testimony that while visa revocations were made for noncompliance with immigration laws, he was involved in the visa revocation of several notable activists, confirming the existence of memos endorsing their removal.
