A U.S. federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration acted unconstitutionally in targeting foreign students and faculty engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy, declaring that the policy chilled free speech on college campuses.
In a detailed 161-page ruling, U.S. District Judge William Young in Boston sided with groups representing university faculty, finding that officials of the Departments of State and Homeland Security “acted in concert to misuse the sweeping powers of their respective offices to target noncitizen pro-Palestinians for deportation primarily on account of their First Amendment protected political speech,” said Young as reported in Reuters.
“They did so in order to strike fear into similarly situated non-citizen pro-Palestinian individuals, pro-actively (and effectively) curbing lawful pro-Palestinian speech,” Young added, criticizing the use of masked ICE agents in the arrest of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who had co-authored an opinion piece criticizing her school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Landmark ruling for free speech
Young, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, described the government’s actions as part of broader efforts to limit free speech targeting law firms, universities, and media outlets. “While the President naturally seeks warm cheering… in the real world he’ll settle for sullen silence and obedience,” Young wrote.
The plaintiffs, including the American Association of University Professors, its chapters at Harvard, Rutgers, and NYU, and the Middle East Studies Association, hailed the decision as affirming First Amendment protections for noncitizens. Ramya Krishnan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs at Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute, called the administration’s actions “ideological deportations” that dishonor the Constitution.
White House spokesperson Liz Huston said the administration plans to appeal the ruling, asserting that it “will not allow foreign nationals who endanger America’s national security or imperil campus safety” to study in the U.S., told Reuters.
Background of the case
The lawsuit challenges actions stemming from Trump’s January executive orders aimed at “vigorously” combating anti-Semitism after protests erupted on college campuses following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Immigration authorities had canceled visas for hundreds of students and scholars and detained some, including Ozturk and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil. Previous court orders had secured their release after judges ruled the administration’s actions violated free-speech rights. Young noted in his ruling that the Trump administration continues efforts to deport these students while appealing prior court decisions.
In his ruling, Young underscored the importance of defending constitutional values, referencing a threatening message he had received: “Trump has pardons and tanks … what do you have?” Young responded, “Alone, I have nothing but my sense of duty. Together, We the People of the United States –- you and me –- have our magnificent Constitution.”
