A have a look at who has been detained or deported in a US crackdown on largely pro-Palestinian protesters
People with connections to American universities, lots of whom have supported pro-Palestinian causes, have been detained as a part of the Trump administration’s strict immigration measures. President Trump and different officers have labeled protesters as “pro-Hamas” after the militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Protesters, nonetheless, insist their actions criticize Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The administration has invoked a not often used legislation that allows the Secretary of State to revoke visas from noncitizens deemed threats to US overseas coverage, resulting in the detention or deportation of over six people by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in latest weeks.
Rumeysa Ozturk
Rumeysa Ozturk Federal officers detained 30-year-old Turkish pupil Rumeysa Ozturk on Tuesday as she walked alongside a avenue in suburban Boston. A senior Division of Homeland Safety spokesperson mentioned with out offering proof that an investigation discovered Ozturk, a doctoral pupil at Tufts College, “engaged in actions in assist of Hamas,” which can be a US-designated terrorist group.
Pals and colleagues of Ozturk mentioned her solely identified activism was co-authoring an op-ed in a pupil newspaper that referred to as on Tufts College to have interaction with pupil calls for to chop ties with Israel. Ozturk has been taken to an ICE detention middle in Louisiana. A US District choose in Massachusetts on Friday mentioned Ozturk cannot be deported to Turkey with out a court docket order and gave the federal government till Tuesday night to answer an up to date grievance filed by Ozturk’s attorneys.
Mahmoud Khalil
This month, immigration enforcement brokers arrested and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a authorized US resident, Palestinian activist and graduate pupil who was distinguished in protests at Columbia final 12 months. The administration has mentioned it revoked Khalil’s inexperienced card as a result of his function within the campus protests amounted to antisemitic assist for Hamas. He’s preventing deportation.
Khalil served as a negotiator for Columbia college students as they bargained with college officers over ending their campus encampment final spring. He was born in Syria and is married to an American citizen. His legal professionals urged a federal choose on Friday to free their consumer from a Louisiana immigration detention middle and argued his case shouldn’t be moved to Louisiana courts. The choose mentioned he would subject a choice quickly.
Yunseo Chung
Yunseo Chung is a Columbia pupil and lawful US resident who moved to America from Korea as a toddler. Chung attended and was arrested at a sit-in this month at close by Barnard Faculty protesting the expulsion of scholars who participated in pro-Palestinian activism.
The Division of Homeland Safety desires to deport Chung and has mentioned she “engaged in regarding conduct,” together with being arrested on a misdemeanor cost. A choose ordered immigration brokers to not detain Chung whereas her authorized problem is pending.
Badar Khan Suri
Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown scholar from India, was arrested exterior his Virginia residence and detained by masked Homeland Safety brokers on allegations that he unfold Hamas propaganda. Suri’s lawyer wrote in a court docket submitting that he was focused due to his social media posts and his spouse’s “id as a Palestinian and her constitutionally protected speech.” Suri holds a visa authorizing him to be within the US as a visiting scholar, and his spouse is a US citizen, in response to court docket paperwork.
Suri was taken to a detention facility in Louisiana, in response to a authorities web site. His legal professionals are in search of his rapid launch and to halt deportation proceedings.
Leqaa Kordia
Leqaa Kordia, a resident of Newark, New Jersey, was detained and accused of failing to depart the US after her pupil visa expired. Federal authorities mentioned Kordia is a Palestinian from the West Financial institution and that she was arrested at or close to Columbia throughout pro-Palestinian protests. Columbia has mentioned it has no report of her being a pupil there.
Kordia is being held in an immigration detention middle in Alvarado, Texas, in response to a authorities database.
Ranjani Srinivasan
Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral pupil at Columbia, fled the US after immigration brokers looked for her at her college residence. The Trump administration has mentioned it revoked Srinivasan’s visa for “advocating for violence and terrorism.” Srinivasan opted to “self-deport.”
Officers did not say what proof they’ve that Srinivasan advocated violence. Her legal professionals deny the accusations, and he or she informed The New York Instances that she did not assist to arrange protests at Columbia.
Alireza Doroudi
Alireza Doroudi College of Alabama doctoral pupil of Iran was detained by ICE on Tuesday. David Rozas, a lawyer representing Doroudi, says Douridi was learning mechanical engineering. His pupil visa was revoked in 2023, however his lawyer has mentioned he was eligible to proceed his research so long as he maintained his pupil standing and met different necessities of his entry into the USA.
A Division of Homeland Safety spokesperson mentioned Friday that the arrest was remodeled the revocation of Doroudi’s pupil visa, saying he “posed vital nationwide safety considerations.” A spokesperson mentioned they may not share further particulars.
In contrast to another college students focused by ICE, Dorudi’s lawyer mentioned there isn’t a indication that his consumer was concerned in any political protests. Doroudi informed his lawyer he is not conscious of any suspected prison exercise or violations. He was detained in Alabama however might be moved to an immigration facility in Jena, Louisiana.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh Dr. Rasha Alawieh
Dr. Rasha Alawieh Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist from Lebanon who beforehand labored and lived in Rhode Island, was deported this month, despite the fact that a federal choose ordered that she not be eliminated till a listening to might be held. Homeland Safety officers mentioned Alawieh was deported as quickly as she returned to the U.S. from Lebanon, regardless of having a US visa, as a result of she “overtly admitted” supporting former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Alawieh informed officers she adopted him for his non secular and religious teachings and never his politics, court docket paperwork mentioned.
She was to start out work at Brown College as an assistant professor of medication. Stephanie Marzouk, Alawieh’s lawyer, has mentioned she is going to struggle to get the 34-year-old physician again to the US.
Momodou Taal
Momodou Taal is a doctoral pupil at Cornell College whose visa was revoked after he participated in campus demonstrations.
Taal, a citizen of the UK and Gambia, has requested a federal choose to halt his detention throughout his court docket problem. The federal government says it revoked Taal’s pupil visa due to his alleged involvement in “disruptive protests.”
His attorneys say the 31-year-old doctoral pupil in Africana research was exercising free speech rights. Taal mentioned he’ll give up to immigration authorities if the court docket determines the federal government is appearing legally. Taal mentioned in a court docket declaration that “I really feel like a prisoner already, though all I’ve executed is train my rights.”
