Federal judge blocks detention of Columbia anti-Israel protester Yunseu Chung

Immigration authorities person been ordered by a national justice to cease their efforts to apprehension a Columbia University pupil who engaged successful pro-Palestinian demonstrations. U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald issued the restraining bid connected Tuesday, conscionable 1 time aft the pupil filed her lawsuit.

Yunseo Chung, who has lived successful the U.S. since she was 7 years old, is suing President Donald Trump and respective members of his medication aft national authorities tried to apprehension and deport her. In the lawsuit, Chung’s attorneys accidental that the government’s pursuit of the Columbia pupil is an "unjustifiable battle connected First Amendment."

The suit states that Chung was a subordinate successful the anti-Israel protests, not a leader, and was "one of a ample radical of assemblage students" expressing "shared concerns" implicit the warfare successful Gaza. Chung, according to the lawsuit, "visited" the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, a fig of tents organized successful the halfway of campus, but does not authorities whether she stayed there. The suit besides makes it wide that she did not marque nationalist statements oregon prosecute successful high-profile activities portion astatine the protests.

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a emblem connected the rooftop of Hamilton Hall astatine Columbia University successful New York, connected Tuesday, April 30, 2024.  (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Chung’s suit states that she was ne'er arrested oregon disciplined successful narration to events astatine the encampment. However, she was aboriginal arrested during a 2025 protestation astatine Barnard College. The suit claims that it is communal successful New York City for constabulary to apprehension galore protesters and that charges are usually dropped oregon dismissed.

The suit states that connected March 8, an ICE authoritative signed an administrative apprehension warrant for Chung and national instrumentality enforcement went to Chung’s parents’ location the adjacent time seeking to apprehension her.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authoritative allegedly told Chung’s attorneys connected March 10 that her greenish paper had been "revoked," according to the lawsuit. The authorities has the authorization to rescind imperishable nonmigratory presumption if they judge a idiosyncratic has violated U.S. migration law.

Chung’s attorneys accidental successful the suit that instrumentality enforcement searched Chung’s dorm country connected March 13 successful accordance with a warrant.

Columbia University's Gaza encampment (left), President Donald Trump (right) (Getty Images)

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"Yunseo Chung has engaged successful concerning conduct, including erstwhile she was arrested by NYPD during a pro-Hamas protestation astatine Barnard College. She is being sought for removal proceedings nether the migration law," a elder DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Chung volition person an accidental to contiguous her lawsuit earlier an migration judge."

Chung is the latest anti-Israel pupil protester to look imaginable deportation.

Mahmoud Khalil, who is simply a greenish paper holder and the spouse of a U.S. citizen, was arrested by ICE earlier this period and faces deportation. Khalil is accused of playing a large relation successful anti-Israel protests astatine Columbia University.

The Trump medication claims Khalil did not disclose his employment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees successful the Near East (UNRWA). His apprehension sparked protests crossed New York City, with galore saying that the Trump medication was violating his close to escaped speech.

People show extracurricular Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, connected the time of a proceeding connected the detention of Palestinian activistic and Columbia University postgraduate pupil Mahmoud Khalil, successful New York City, U.S., March 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

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The Trump medication has deemed that Khalil and Chung’s actions, and those of different pupil protesters, were successful enactment of Hamas, a U.S.-designated panic organization.

"ICE HSI volition analyse individuals engaged successful activities successful enactment of Hamas, a overseas violent organization. Based connected investigative findings, the Department of State whitethorn marque a determination which whitethorn effect successful visa revocation oregon different enactment impacting the migration presumption of an alien successful the U.S. Upon the determination from the Department of State, ICE volition instrumentality due enforcement actions," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Kitty Le Claire and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.