Reuters photo.
Washington: A legal permanent US resident, who is also a Korean American Columbia University student, sued the Donald Trump-led US administration to prevent her from being deported for her pro-Palestinian protests, Reuters reported.
A court filing by the student, 21-year-old Yunseo Chung, on Monday, said that she lived in the US since she was seven, but her resident status was revoked. Her legal team was informed of this two weeks ago, according to the court filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit also says that the Trump administration claims that her presence in the US hinders its foreign policy agenda.
However, Chung has not been arrested yet, though immigration agents have visited her at her residence multiple times.
Trump, who is pro-Israel and is deeply involved in the fresh attacks by Israel breaching ceasefire deals, has pledged to deport any foreign national who is among pro-Palestinian protesters. He has accused them of supporting Hamas, who are allegedly posing obstacles to US foreign policy and being antisemitic.
However, protesters, who include Jewish groups too, say that the Trump regime wrongly conflates their criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians with antisemitism and support for Hamas.
Protesters and human rights advocates condemned Trump’s move, according to Reuters reports.
Earlier this month, another Columbia protester, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested, and he is challenging his detention. He is also a lawful permanent resident in the US.
According to the lawsuit by Chung, the move to banish her "form part of a larger pattern of attempted U.S. government repression of constitutionally protected protest activity and other forms of speech," Reuters quoted.