Following a court hearing on Thursday, May 29, a federal judge extended an order blocking Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents from arresting 21-year-old college student Yunseo Chung. Chung, like fellow Columbia students and graduates Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Ranjani Srinivasan, has been targeted by the Trump administration amid its broader attacks on immigrants, institutions of higher education, and the pro-Palestine movement. The temporary restraining order on Chung’s detention by ICE is now extended until her next court hearing on June 5.
While Chung’s attorneys appeared in the Southern District of New York federal court in Manhattan to fight Trump’s attempts to deport her, hundreds rallied in nearby Foley Square to show their support for the student. Demonstrators held signs reading “Hands off Yunseo Chung” and “Hands off Palestine”.
“The Trump administration’s persecution of Yunseo Chung and other pro-Palestine students is a blatant attack on immigrants, free speech, and Palestinian solidarity,” said Jamie Tyberg, a member of Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, one of the organizations leading the rally on Thursday. “The Trump administration must end its witch hunt against students, immigrants, and activists and commit to the demands broadly supported by the people of this country: an arms embargo against Israel and an end to the siege on Gaza.”
Chung was targeted specifically alongside Columbia graduate and pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil, in a memo written by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, claiming that the presence of both students within the country “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” Chung’s name was originally redacted from the memo when it originally surfaced to the public. Chung, like Khalil, participated in pro-Palestine protests on her campus, actions which some argue have been demonized by the Trump administration in “a cynical attempt to limit pro Palestine speech rights,” according to Palestinian Youth Movement activist Taher Dahleh.
“Yunseo is facing deportation for having taken part in protests against the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which is currently facing a full scale blockade on humanitarian aid and starvation conditions. The real criminals here are not Yunseo or other student protesters, but those who create the conditions they’re protesting: Israel and the US,” said Dahleh.
Chung’s recent victory in the courts closely follows that of fellow student Mahmoud Khalil. On Wednesday, May 28, US District Judge Michael Farbiarz ruled that Trump’s efforts to deport Khalil are likely unconstitutional. However, Farbiarz stopped short of releasing Khalil from ICE detention, arguing that the Columbia activist must present further arguments as to why he should be released.
