Lawsuits Challenge Trump Deportation Orders for Pro-Palestinian Activists, Haitians

A lawsuit has been filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and a group of Cornell University students and professors challenging the Trump administration's executive orders aimed at deporting international students who support Palestinian rights. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, seeks a nationwide temporary restraining order against these orders, which are claimed to violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. This legal action follows the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, and aims to protect the rights of both citizens and non-citizens in the U.S. The Justice Department, however, defends the administration's actions by citing potential foreign policy threats posed by such activists. ADC representatives emphasize that this lawsuit is a crucial step to uphold constitutional protections for free speech. Protests have erupted nationwide in solidarity with Khalil's case, reflecting broader concerns about political persecution related to activism against U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.