A federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking immigration officials from detaining Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old Columbia University student and legal permanent U.S. resident, as the Trump administration seeks to deport her over her involvement in pro-Palestinian campus protests.
U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, presiding in Manhattan, granted Chung's request for emergency relief, citing the government's failure to provide sufficient justification for its actions. The order also prohibits federal authorities from transferring Chung outside the jurisdiction of the Southern District of New York.
"No trips to Louisiana here," Buchwald said during the hearing, referencing the detainment of other activists tied to Gaza solidarity protests who were moved to detention centers out of state.
Chung, a South Korean-born green card holder who has lived in the U.S. since age seven, filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming she is being targeted for "protected speech" and peaceful protest. Her attorneys argued that federal officials moved to revoke her immigration status and arrest her in retaliation for her participation in a sit-in at Barnard College, affiliated with Columbia.
"Officials at the highest echelons of government are attempting to use immigration enforcement as a bludgeon to suppress speech that they dislike, including Ms. Chung's speech," her complaint states.
Ramzi Kassem, co-director of CLEAR at the City University of New York School of Law and one of Chung's attorneys, said in a statement: "Yunseo no longer has to fear that ICE will spirit her away to a distant prison simply because she spoke up for Palestinian human rights. The court's temporary restraining order is both sensible and fair, to preserve the status quo as we litigate the serious constitutional issues at stake not just for Yunseo, but for our society as a whole."
Jordan Wells, senior attorney at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, which also represents Chung, added: "May the day never come when the secretary of state is allowed to single out a college student for banishment from the United States because of political protest. At the very least, we are relieved on behalf of our client that day is not today."
The Department of Homeland Security said in a Monday statement that Chung had "engaged in concerning conduct," referencing her arrest during the Barnard protest. She received a citation for "obstruction of governmental administration," a common charge in civil disobedience cases. DHS did not respond to requests for comment following Tuesday's ruling.
Chung's complaint alleges that after her arrest, immigration agents visited her parents' home on March 9. The following day, her attorney was informed that her green card had been revoked. Federal agents also executed warrants at two Columbia residences, including her dorm room, in search of documentation, despite the warrants not being specifically targeted at her.
According to her legal team, Chung was not a high-profile protest organizer, spokesperson, or liaison. She attended events at the Gaza solidarity encampment but did not make public statements or coordinate with university officials. She is a junior at Columbia, contributing to the school's literary magazine and undergraduate law journal, and was valedictorian of her high school.
Her case is not isolated. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate, was recently detained in front of his pregnant wife at a university-owned building and transferred to a Louisiana facility. Attorneys allege that Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited national interest concerns in both deportation efforts.
Separately, a hearing was held Tuesday in Syracuse for Momodou Taal, a Cornell University graduate student with a student visa, who claims immigration officials are targeting him under executive orders related to antisemitism. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Coombe has not yet ruled on his request for a similar restraining order.
