Yunseo Chung is yet another Columbia University student now facing deportation by the Donald Trump administration after she participated in pro-Palestinian protests on the campus. The 21-year-old, who was arrested earlier this month, sued the US president and other officials on Monday in an attempt to prevent the worst from happening. On her behalf, the lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court.
Chung’s case has similarly shot into focus like Mahmoud Khalil‘s arrest. The Columbia graduate, who led the charge as a prominent Palestinian activist during campus protests last year, was also arrested this month. Despite being a permanent legal resident married to an American citizen, Khalil’s green card was recently revoked. Like him, Yunseo Chung is being targeted for her beliefs about the Israel-Palestine issue.
Alongside Chung and Khalil, Indian scholar Ranjani Srinivasan, who is yet another Columbia student, also bore the brunt for her beliefs. On March 5, the Department of State revoked her visa, alleging she “was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organisation.” She ultimately self-deported using the CBP Home App.
The Ivy League school’s students who have voiced their thoughts against Israel one way or another have been accused of “advocating for violence and terrorism.” 21-year-old Yunseo Chung’s case adds to the expanding nightmare for immigrants in the US.
NEW: ICE is hunting for Yunseo Chung, a Columbia student who attended pro-Palestine protests. Chung came to the US from Korea with her family at age 7, and was her high school's valedictorian. She's a lawful permanent resident. Here's what we know so far. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/hyCiyiz6cW
— Jason Paladino (@jason_paladino) March 24, 2025
Who is Yunseo Chung?
The Columbia University junior was arrested on March 5 during a sit-in protest at a Barnard College library. The demonstration was planned to oppose the college punishing student activists.
Yunseo Chung is a legal permanent resident who moved to the United States from South Korea nearly 15 years ago with her family. She has been in the US since age 7, and has been participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations since 2023, according to AP News and the Guardian.
Chung got on the federal authorities’ radar after her early March arrest. Last year, Yunseo Chung faced a school disciplinary proceeding after she put up posters that said Columbia Board of Trustees were “Wanted for Complicity in Genocide.” It was later found that she did not violate any rules.
According to The New York Post, she was charged with obstructing governmental administration and issued a desk appearance ticket by the NYPD. Shortly after her arrest, agents from the Department of Homeland Security visited the Columbia junior’s parents’ home.
A federal agent event contacted her via text message, per the lawsuit, which also lists Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump-affiliated high-rank officials.
The message mentioned that the State Department was revoking her legal status in the US and had an administrative warrant for her arrest.
Homeland Security vs Yunseo Chung’s legal team
The lawsuit also stated that her dorm was located in a Columbia-owned residence, which federal agents raided on March 13. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security noted that Chung had “engaged in concerning conduct” and accused her of participating in a “pro-Hamas protest at Barnard College.” In their statement to the New York Times, they added, “She is being sought for removal proceedings under the immigration laws.”
Meanwhile, Chung’s legal team is requesting the concerned judge to protect her status in the country by revoking the government’s plans to deport her. Her lawyers contend that the Trump administration is attempting to “chill” her free speech. “The government’s retaliation against Ms. Chung comes in a broader context of retaliation against other noncitizens who have exercised their First Amendment rights,” Yunseo’s legal team argued.
The legal docs also seeks to hold the Trump administration accountable for a “larger pattern of attempted US government repression of constitutionally protected protest activity and other forms of speech,” stating that the government is attempting “to retaliate against and punish noncitizens like Ms Chung for their participation in protests.” The official filing clarifies, “Ms Chung is challenging [the government’s] pattern and practice of targeting individuals associated with protests for Palestinian rights for immigration enforcement in retaliation for their core protected political speech.”
As of Monday, she was not in federal custody, per The Post.