Columbia Student Yunseo Chung Sues Trump Administration Over Deportation Amidst Pro-Palestinian Activism

Deportation Lawsuit Filed by Columbia Student

• 🎓 Yunseo Chung, a Columbia University junior and legal permanent resident from South Korea, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
• ⚖️ The suit aims to block her deportation, which she alleges is retaliation for her pro-Palestinian activism.
• 📅 Chung moved to the US at age seven and was arrested on March 5th during a protest at a Barnard College academic building.

Charges and Homeland Security Response

• 🚨 She was charged with obstructing governmental administration and released with a desk appearance ticket.
• 🏠 Days later, her family was visited by Homeland Security agents, and she was contacted by a federal agent.
• 🗣️ DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated that Chung has engaged in “concerning conduct,” including her arrest at a pro-Hamas protest, making her subject to removal under immigration law.

Claims of Retaliation and Free Speech

• ✊ The lawsuit claims Chung's deportation case is part of a broader campaign targeting non-citizens who speak out for Palestinian rights.
• 🚫 It asserts that the government is attempting to chill free speech.
• 🏢 Her dorm was one of two raided by federal law enforcement on March 13th, a move that sparked outrage on campus.

Previous Disciplinary Case

• 📜 Chung previously faced a school disciplinary case for posting “wanted for complicity and genocide” flyers targeting the Columbia Board of Trustees.
• ✅ She was ultimately cleared of any rule violations in that disciplinary case.

Legal Action and Defendants

• 🏛️ The lawsuit seeks to block Chung's arrest and removal from the country.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Defendants named in the suit include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and DHS Secretary Christy Gnome.