<\/p>\n
U.S. immigration officials on Friday sent an email to the legal team of Momodou Taal, a Cornell University student who has participated in pro-Palestinian protests, asking him to turn himself in, Taal’s attorneys said in a court filing.<\/p>\n
A “notice to appear” sent by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials is among the first steps in the deportation process.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Taal, a doctoral candidate in Africana Studies and dual citizen of the UK and the Gambia, has participated in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza following an October 2023 Hamas attack.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters and accused them of supporting Hamas and being antisemitic.<\/p>\n
Taal’s attorneys called the development a free speech assault. Taal previously filed a lawsuit to block deportations of protesters. He has said he was doxxed.<\/p>\n
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say their critics wrongly conflate their criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism and support for Hamas.<\/p>\n
“ICE invites Mr Taal and his counsel to appear in-person at the (Homeland Security Investigations Office) in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the (Notice to Appear) and for Mr Taal to surrender to ICE custody,” a U.S. government email said, according to the filing on Friday.<\/p>\n
No timeline was mentioned.<\/p>\n
ICE had no immediate comment.<\/p>\n
Last year, Taal was in a group of activists who disrupted a career fair on campus that featured weapons manufacturers and the university thereafter ordered him to study remotely.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Trump’s administration has also attempted to deport other foreigners in its crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices. Human rights advocates have widely condemned the moves.<\/p>\n
Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil was arrested this month and is legally challenging his detention.<\/p>\n
Trump, without evidence, accused Khalil of supporting Hamas. Khalil denies links to the militant group that Washington considers a “foreign terrorist organization.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian studying at Georgetown University, was detained this week. Suri’s lawyer denies his client supported Hamas. A federal judge barred Suri’s deportation.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n
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