Columbia University student Yunseo Chung came to this country with her family at the age of seven. Even though she is a lawful permanent resident of the United States, the Trump administration tried to arrest and deport her in the spring of 2025, simply because she attended a protest concerning the disciplining of students at Barnard College who had demonstrated about the war in Gaza — this chilling tactic being used to retaliate against many noncitizen students in violation of the First Amendment.
Tell Congress to stop funding the targeting and deportation of non-citizens who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights.
Timeline
On March 25, 2025, we secured a temporary restraining order barring the government from arresting or deporting Yunseo while we litigate the constitutional question of whether the government may deport a green-card holder for doing nothing more than attending a protest..
On June 5, 2025, we secured a preliminary injunction, extending the temporary restraining order that bars the government from arresting and detaining Yunseo. The government appealed, and that appeal is pending.
On December 10, 2025, the government filed its opening appellate brief, arguing that Yunseo must be arrested and jailed in an immigration detention facility before she is permitted to challenge the government’s policy of deporting people based on their speech.
In The News
“First, they came for the foreigners.” Boston Globe, March 31, 2025
“ICE Got Warrants Under “False Pretenses,” Claims Columbia Student Targeted Over Gaza Protests.” Shawn Musgrave: The Intercept, March 28, 2025
“ICE Duped a Federal Judge Into Allowing Raid on Columbia Student Dorms.” Shawn Musgrave The Intercept, May 14, 2025
“Judge rules Columbia protester Yunseo Chung can't be detained as she fights deportation.”NBC News, Patrick Smith and Doha Madani, March 25, 2025
