Legal permanent resident and Columbia University student Yunseo Chung, 21, is suing President Donald Trump and administration officials after immigration authorities attempted to deport her for participating in pro-Palestinian protests, which the administration claims hinders their antisemitism foreign policy, The New York Times reported Monday.
"The government's actions are an unprecedented and unjustifiable assault on First Amendment and other rights, one that cannot stand basic legal scrutiny," the lawsuit read.
On March 5, police officers arrested Chung following a sit-in protest. She was soon ticketed and released. However, four days later, immigration officials appeared at the home of Chung's parents. According to the lawsuit, around then, she received a text from someone identifying herself as "Audrey with the police."
Chung's lawyer then promptly called the number. A woman replied, saying she was an ICE agent and that the State Department could revoke her residency, and an administrative warrant was issued for her arrest.
By March 10, a lawyer high up in the federal prosecutor's office, Perry Carbone, told Chung's attorneys that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had revoked Chung's visa. But Chung's lawyer, Naz Ahmad, responded that she was not in the U.S. on a visa and that she was a permanent resident.
Carbone replied Rubio had "revoked that" as well.
Ostensibly, the Trump administration is pursuing Chung to quash speech related to Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.
Chung's lawyers, per the lawsuit, accused the Trump administration of obtaining warrants for her detention "under false pretenses."
The State Department did not respond to Newsmax at the time of publishing if the English major and gender studies student poses a threat to national security.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.