In a ruling that has caught national attention, a federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order to halt the deportation of Columbia University student Yunseo Chung.
According to the New York Post, this decision comes after the Department of Homeland Security sought the deportation of Chung due to her involvement in a controversial protest.
The judge's ruling occurred in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald presided over the case. She concluded that there was no substantial evidence suggesting Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old permanent resident from South Korea, posed any threat to public safety.
Yunseo Chung moved to the United States with her family at the age of 7. She has since pursued an education at Columbia University, where she is currently a junior. The move to initiate deportation proceedings against Chung by federal officials stemmed from her arrest during an anti-Israel protest at the university.
The protest she attended was largely triggered by the expulsion of two students after they distributed antisemitic flyers. Notably, the protest at which Chung was detained involved the violent takeover of Barnard College’s Milstein Library, an event that authorities labeled as a "pro-Hamas protest." The Department of Homeland Security pinpointed Chung's arrest at this event as part of the "concerning conduct" that led them to pursue her removal from the United States.
Judge Buchwald's decision to block Chung's deportation has been influenced by multiple factors, including the absence of any criminal charges against Chung linked to weapon possession or terrorism. "I don’t think there is any evidence in the record that she would be a danger to the community," stated Judge Buchwald during the proceedings.
Ramzi Kassem, Chung’s attorney, emphasized her status as a permanent resident, unaffected by the allegations. "No matter what [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio says, she remains a permanent resident," he argued, highlighting that the assertions did not strip her of her legal immigration status.
Outside the courthouse, after the ruling, Kassem also told reporters, "As of today, Yunseo Chung no longer has to live in fear of ICE coming to her doorstep and abducting her in the night as they did with Mr. Khalil and other student activists."
During the contested protest, flyers that appeared to support Hamas and were attributed to the "Hamas Media Office" were found, adding to the complexities of the situation. Despite this, the court did not find sufficient grounds to consider Chung a security threat.
In her lawsuit against the Trump administration to prevent her deportation, Chung leveraged the legal assistance of Ramzi Kassem, who also represents Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia protester currently detained and facing deportation.
Kassem, a co-head of CLEAR (Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility) at CUNY, has been providing pro bono legal support to Chung and Khalil. This case not only highlights the legal battles faced by student activists but also emphasizes the implications of protests that intersect with international political issues.
The Department of Homeland Security, through spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, pointed out Chung's "concerning conduct" during her arrest as the basis for their actions. "Yunseo Chung has engaged in concerning conduct, including when she was arrested by NYPD during a pro-Hamas protest at Barnard College," McLaughlin stated.
However, the judicial safeguard placed by Judge Buchwald temporarily secures Chung from immediate deportation and arrest, challenging the administration’s efforts to remove her based on the protest's context.
This case is set to continue influencing discussions about immigration, free speech on campus, and the extent of legal protections available to non-citizen residents in the United States, especially in politically charged scenarios.