Columbia protester Yunseo Chung sues Trump administration to prevent deportation
A Columbia University student who took part in campus protests against Israel's military offensive in Gaza is facing deportation, according to a Monday lawsuit.
A Columbia University student who took part in campus protests against Israel's military offensive in Gaza is facing deportation, according to a Monday lawsuit.
Lawyers for Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old permanent resident, allege that their client was a victim of "shocking overreach" by the government, which is seeking to deport her because of her political views and constitutionally protected protest activities.
The Monday lawsuit seeks to stop the deposition and the "pattern and practice of targeting individuals associated with protests for Palestinian rights for immigration enforcement," adding that Chung's detainment came around the same time as Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil's arrest earlier this month.
"The government’s actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny," the lawsuit says.
Originally from South Korea, Chung and her family have lived in the United States since she was 7 years old. The lawsuit states that immigration officials signed an administrative arrest warrant for Chung on March 8, the same time Khalil was arrested. Like Khalil, her permanent resident status means she does not need a student visa.
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