In 2024, individuals can be seen walking around the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. The Department of Justice recently requested a Cornell University student, who is suing the Trump administration for his involvement in campus protests the previous year, to report to immigration authorities. Momodou Taal, a Ph.D. student holding a U.S. visa and citizenship in both the United Kingdom and Gambia, was contacted by a Department of Justice lawyer through email to initiate the deportation process and surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The specific timeline for Taal’s surrender was not provided in the email.
According to Taal’s lawyers, prior to receiving the email, unidentified authorities were observed outside Taal’s student residence questioning other residents about him. The building’s staff intervened and asked the authorities to leave. Taal’s attorneys have requested the Justice Department to clarify their actions by a specified deadline.
The Department of Justice has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the enforcement actions against Taal. Similarly, Cornell University and the Department of Homeland Security did not provide immediate comments on the matter.
Recently, Taal and two other U.S. citizens challenged executive orders from the Trump administration addressing anti-Semitism on college campuses and the expulsion of foreign nationals deemed as national security risks. They argue that these orders infringe upon the free speech rights of international students and scholars who express support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Taal’s case is part of a larger pattern where the Trump administration is exerting influence on private higher education institutions. Following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, for leading protests at the school, concerns have been raised about potential apprehensions by immigration authorities. The administration has utilized a national security provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 as justification for deportations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to revoke visas and green cards of noncitizens deemed supportive of Hamas. Instances of arrests, visa revocations, and deportations involving students and scholars from Columbia University and Brown University have sparked controversy and legal challenges. The situation remains tense as individuals navigate the complex immigration policies and actions of the Trump administration.
In recent news, a graduate student teaching at Georgetown University on a student visa was detained this week. The Trump administration has taken action against universities in response to protests on college campuses last year. On March 7, the administration announced the removal of $400 million in federal grants from Columbia, a focal point of the protests. This week, the White House stated it would withhold $175 million in federal funding from the University of Pennsylvania for permitting a transgender swimmer to compete on the women’s team.
In an attempt to reopen negotiations for federal funding, Columbia agreed on Friday to comply with the demands set by the Trump administration. The university will now enforce a ban on masks at protests in most cases, adjust its admissions procedures, increase campus security by hiring 36 officers with arrest powers, and appoint a new senior vice provost to oversee the Middle East, South Asian, and African studies department.
These actions have sparked new protests and raised concerns nationwide regarding the government’s impact on free speech. Some students and faculty members at Columbia have expressed fears to NBC News about potential repercussions for speaking out against the government. Protests are set to resume at Columbia on Monday.
