Federal Trial Opens Challenging Trump-Era Pro-Palestinian Campus Crackdown

A federal bench trial began in Boston challenging a Trump administration policy targeting international students and faculty involved in pro-Palestinian protests and political activities. The lawsuit, filed by university associations against President Donald Trump and his administration, alleges that the policy violates the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by intimidating noncitizen students and faculty into silence and self-censorship. Plaintiffs argue the policy, while not formally codified, was implemented through administrative actions and public statements aimed at suppressing political dissent, particularly criticism of Israel. Several scholars are expected to testify about how fear of arrest and deportation forced them to abandon activism and scholarship related to Palestinian human rights. Notable activists named include Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate detained for 104 days, and Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University student detained after publishing an op-ed critical of her university’s position on Israel. The Trump administration has accused some protesters of being "pro-Hamas," though demonstrators maintain their focus is on opposing Israel's actions in the ongoing conflict.