A U.S. federal judge pledged on Thursday to issue an order aimed at preventing the Trump administration from retaliating against academics who have objected to the arrest, detention, and potential deportation of foreign students and professors. These individuals have been targeted due to their participation in pro-Palestinian events and protests against the Israeli military operation in Gaza on American university campuses.
Judge William Young of the U.S. District Court stated during a hearing in Boston that “the significant issue in this case is that government officials, and seemingly the President of the United States, do not respect the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”
In September, Judge Young ruled that the Departments of State and Homeland Security violated the First Amendment by restricting the freedom of expression of foreign academics at universities. The administration has reportedly revoked the visas of over a thousand students and researchers and arrested a number of them, citing orders signed by President Trump instructing federal agencies to “vigorously combat antisemitism.” These actions followed protests that swept across American universities in response to the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip.
The crackdown on foreign students began with the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a student of Palestinian origin, in March. It subsequently expanded to include the detention and deportation of others, with judges in most cases ordering the release of those detained.
Describing the administration’s actions as “appalling,” Judge Young, a Republican appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, stated that the administration has a “frightening approach to freedom.”
“We are contemplating the word authoritarian,” Young said. “I am not using it in this context in a pejorative sense, and I use it cautiously, but it is reasonably clear that this President believes in an authoritarian way that when he speaks, everyone, every person in Article II will submit to him absolutely.”
Article II of the U.S. Constitution outlines the powers of the executive branch.
The White House has not yet issued a comment but previously vowed to appeal Judge Young’s ruling.
