A Columbia University student is suing President Trump and several top cabinet officials, claiming they sought to "detain and deport" her as a result of her participation in what the lawsuit labeled as pro-Palestinian protests.
Yunseo Chung is a 21-year-old lawful permanent resident and junior at the school. A senior Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Associated Press that she participated in a pro-Hamas protest at neighboring Barnard College earlier this month.
"She is being sought for removal proceedings under the immigration laws," the spokesperson said. "Chung will have an opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge."
This lawsuit highlights another significant clash between the Trump administration and institutions of higher education.
Elika Dadsetan-Foley, the executive director of Visions, a nonprofit organization that has advised university leaders, says college administrators are in "crisis management mode at the moment."
"Higher education leaders are really now bracing for a return to policies that feel like they're deprioritizing policies that believe in student success," she said.
The Trump administration has targeted students who they say participated in pro-Hamas protests and aimed to have them detained and deported.
The U.S. Department of Education is also currently investigating multiple universities over their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. In a related move, the White House announced a pause on millions of dollars in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its policies regarding transgender athletes. On Friday, Columbia University announced it would change policies to meet demands from the White House after facing a potential $400 million in federal funding cuts.
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In light of these developments, several universities have instituted hiring freezes, reflecting widespread concerns about the potential loss of federal funding.
The research community has expressed particular concern about the implications of these policies on funding for education and innovation.
Distinguished professor emeritus of education at Pennsylvania State University Roger L. Geiger said some of the Trump administration's actions on education "needed doing," but he rejected cutting funding for research.
"Their attack on research funding is negative and insane," he said. "An injury to American scientific research could very quickly cause a decline in the effectiveness of American science, and then everything that goes with that.
President Trump has long been critical of institutions of higher learning.
"The time has come to reclaim our great educational institutions from the radical left," Trump said in a campaign video in 2023.
Public trust in higher education has waned significantly over the past decade. According to a poll from Gallup, 36% of Americans had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education in 2024, down from 57% in 2015.
But Dadsetan-Foley worries the Trump administration's current posture may leave schools and students at risk.
"Administrators are shifting from long-term planning and are very much in crisis management mode at the moment," she said. "Universities are being forced to choose: protect their values or protect their funding. That's not a neutral decision — it's a moral one."
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