U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the East Room at the White House Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Washington (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP).
The Trump administration has “unconstitutionally silenced” people living in the United States from “speaking, hearing, or engaging with viewpoints critical of the U.S. government” through deportation and other means, says a new lawsuit from a Cornell University professor and two students, which points to the detainment and attempted deportation of a “pro-Palestinian” protester at Columbia University earlier this month as an example.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with co-counsel, is suing President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of the Cornell professor and two graduate students at the New York college for what they say is a “campaign” being waged against free speech through executive orders (EOs) issued by Trump and carried out by his administration, “particularly as it targets international students and scholars who protest or express support for Palestinian rights,” according to a Sunday statement from ADC officials.
As a result, the plaintiffs claim they “fear government retaliation for engaging in constitutionally protected expression critical of U.S. foreign policy and supportive of Palestinian human rights.” This includes ceasing interactions with one another in public and isolating themselves, “fearing that their associations may draw scrutiny” and various punishments, their lawsuit says, including deportation and criminal prosecution. The ADC filed its complaint Saturday and a motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the enforcement of two Trump EOs — “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” (Executive Order 14161) and “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism” (Executive Order 14188).
“The unprecedented and sweeping character of these Orders — coupled with the threat of imminent enforcement — has unconstitutionally silenced Plaintiffs and chilled protected expression, prohibiting them from speaking, hearing, or engaging with viewpoints critical of the U.S. government or the government of Israel, under threat of criminal prosecution or deportation,” the ADC’s complaint said. “These Orders violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and must be enjoined, at least in part. … The chilling effect is already being felt by both citizens and noncitizens.”
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Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old living in the United States legally with a green card, was detained March 8 and is now facing deportation for what Homeland Security claims is a violation of Trump’s orders, which call for the removal of anyone deemed a “national security and public safety threat.” A government memo obtained by NBC News said Khalil was told this by the Trump administration: “The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
The ADC and Cornell plaintiffs suing Trump pointed to a statement from Trump after Khalil’s detainment Saturday, in which he said others would be subjected to similar treatment for their critical viewpoints.
“This is the first arrest of many to come,” Trump said on TruthSocial. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, antiSemitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it. Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.”
After Khalil’s arrest, DHS officials stated that he was detained “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.” A spokesperson said the department was “committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security,” per the ADC’s complaint.
“Following the issuance of the Orders, Mr. Taal also began withdrawing from broader forms of public engagement, including canceling speaking engagements and declining invitations to participate in public events — opportunities that had previously been integral to his advocacy work and professional development,” the ADC complaint said about grad student Momodou Taal, who is suing with fellow grad student Sriram Parasurama and professor Mũkoma Wa Ngũgĩ.
“As a result, all Plaintiffs have ceased interacting with one another in public locations,” the complaint said. “Mr. Parasurama — a U.S. citizen, student, and prominent participant in local campus protests in support of the Palestinian people — used to regularly meet Mr. Taal at political meetings and demonstrations. Since the promulgation of the Orders, they have not met in person for fear that mere association could be construed as ‘anti-government’ or ‘anti-Semitic.’ The resulting isolation has eroded their ability to engage in collective action and has undermined their ability to freely express their views on contemporary political events.”
ADC officials said in statements Sunday that they believed the lawsuit was a “necessary step to preserve our most fundamental constitutional protections” regardless of what a person supports.
“The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech and expression to all persons within the United States, without exception,” said Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the ADC.
“This is one of those times people will look back on and ask what we did,” said Chris Godshall-Bennett, ADC’s legal director and co-counsel. “We will not stand idly by while the government disappears its political opponents.”
Attempts by Law&Crime to reach the Trump administration for comment Sunday were unsuccessful.
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