Thu Mar 27 14:00:54 UTC 2025: **Trump Administration Detains and Deport Students for Pro-Palestine Activism**
**New York, NY –** A wave of arrests and deportations targeting international students involved in pro-Palestine activism has sparked outrage and protests across the US. The Trump administration, citing concerns about anti-Semitism and support for Hamas, has revoked the visas and/or green cards of at least seven students, several of whom were apprehended without warning and transferred to detention facilities across the country.
Among those targeted are Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright Scholar at Tufts University, and Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate. Ozturk was reportedly seized near her apartment by unidentified officers, an incident caught on security camera footage described as a “kidnapping” by a witness. Khalil, an Algerian permanent resident, was arrested from his apartment while his eight-months-pregnant wife filmed the incident. Both were accused of supporting Hamas, a claim their lawyers vehemently deny. Ozturk was transferred to Louisiana despite a court order, while Khalil was taken to a facility in Jena, Louisiana.
Other students affected include Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral fellow, whose arrest was linked to his father-in-law’s alleged ties to Hamas; Yunseo Chung, a Korean-American Columbia student whose permanent residency was revoked; and Momodou Taal, a Cornell doctoral candidate, who claims his visa was revoked after unidentified law enforcement visited his home. Ranjani Srinivasan, a former Columbia University PhD candidate, had her visa revoked and fled the US to Canada after allegedly being visited by immigration agents and later publicly shamed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Alireza Doroudi, a University of Alabama student, was also detained by ICE.
The administration’s actions have been condemned by students, lawyers, and activists who argue that the arrests constitute viewpoint discrimination and violate the First Amendment. The White House, however, maintains that supporting terrorist organizations warrants such actions, pointing to an executive order aimed at combating anti-Semitism as justification. No evidence linking the students to illegal activities beyond their pro-Palestine activism has been publicly released. Numerous protests have been held demanding the release and reinstatement of the affected students. The legal battles are ongoing.
First Piper 