Judge Temporarily Blocks Deportation of Columbia Student Activist

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining Yunseo Chung, a Columbia University student, as she challenges her potential deportation linked to her participation in pro-Palestinian protests. U.S. District Judge Naomi Buchwald ruled that the government failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify Chung's detention, describing the government's actions as an unconstitutional assault on First Amendment rights. Chung, a 21-year-old permanent resident who moved to the U.S. from South Korea at age 7, argued that immigration enforcement is being used to punish noncitizen speakers expressing political views disfavored by the current administration. Authorities had attempted to detain her under a provision allowing deportation if a foreign national's presence is deemed detrimental to U.S. foreign policy. The judge's order mandates the government to provide advance notice if they seek to detain Chung again. Legal experts and critics warn that such actions threaten free speech and could chill political activism on college campuses.