BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration ’s efforts to deport noncitizens for protesting the war in Gaza was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge William Young in Boston agreed with several university associations that the policy they described as ideological deportation violates the First Amendment.
An email to the Homeland Security department for comment was not immediately returned.
“The policy creates a cloud of fear over university communities, and it is at war with the First Amendment.”.
Lawyers for the Trump administration put up witnesses who testified there was no ideological deportation policy as the plaintiffs contend.
“There is no policy to revoke visas on the basis of protected speech,” Victoria Santora told the court.
“The evidence presented at this trial will show that plaintiffs are challenging nothing more than government enforcement of immigration laws.”.
John Armstrong, the senior bureau official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, testified that visa revocations were based on longstanding immigration law. »