Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Visa Threat Against Pro-Palestine Student Journalists

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — A California federal court has ruled that the Trump administration acted unconstitutionally by threatening to deport student journalists for expressing views on the Israel-Palestine conflict and other contentious issues.

District Judge Noël Wise, appointed by Joe Biden, stated in her decision that the government sent a chilling message to noncitizen students: speak out against Israel or in support of Palestinians and we will revoke your visa and deport you.

The lawsuit, filed by Stanford University’s student newspaper in August, argued that the administration infringed on students’ First and Fifth Amendments by threatening visa revocation under the Immigration and Nationality Act for sharing pro-Palestinian views, often mischaracterized by the White House as “pro-Hamas.”

Supported by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the suit claimed the policy created a chilling effect, causing contributors to stop submitting articles and sources to cease speaking with reporters out of fear of prosecution.

Judge Wise criticized the administration’s crackdown on campuses, noting it involved the arrest of pro-Palestine activists and academics nationwide and was based on “incomprehensible” standards, risking a “downward spiral” in free speech rights.

FIRE hailed the ruling as a landmark case, the first to deem the administration’s visa policies on this matter unconstitutional. FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick emphasized that free speech is an inalienable right for all, not just those whose views align with the government.

The Independent has reached out to the White House and State Department for comments.

This decision follows a September ruling by a federal court in Massachusetts, which condemned the administration’s student visa campaign as a “full-throated assault on the First Amendment” under an unconstitutionally broad definition of antisemitism. That case is currently on appeal.

The Trump administration has targeted international students involved in the Palestine movement, from negotiating with campus protesters to co-writing op-eds critical of Israel, for arrest and deportation. The administration has acknowledged identifying targets for prosecution based on recommendations from pro-Israel online groups.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)