In brief
In a landmark ruling, U.S. District Judge William Young determined that the Trump administration's deportation of noncitizens based on their political protests against the Gaza war is unconstitutional, violating First Amendment rights. The case, supported by university associations who argued against ideological deportation, exposed fears of repression reminiscent of the McCarthy era. The court heard conflicting testimonies about whether such a policy existed.
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 contended there was no ideological deportation policy as the plaintiffs assert. Victoria Santora stated, “There is no policy to revoke visas on the basis of protected speech,” and emphasized that the plaintiffs were contesting the enforcement of immigration laws.John Armstrong, a senior bureau official, testified that visa revocations were based on longstanding immigration law, acknowledging involvement in the cases of several high-profile activists subject to removal.
