Who is Yunseo Chung? All about Columbia University junior facing deportation by Trump administration
BySumanti Sen
Mar 25, 2025 01:08 PM IST
Yunseo Chung, 21, has reportedly sued President Donald Trump and other high-ranking officials in an attempt to stop the feds from deporting her.
A Columbia University junior has reportedly sued President Donald Trump and other high-ranking officials in an attempt to stop the feds from deporting her. 21-year-old Yunseo Chung was arrested earlier this month during an anti-Israel protest, and is now facing deportation.
All about Columbia University junior Yunseo Chung, who is facing deportation by Trump administration (LinkedIn)
All about Columbia University junior Yunseo Chung, who is facing deportation by Trump administration (LinkedIn)
Chung landed on the feds’ radar after she, along with other students, was arrested on March 5 during a sit-in at a Barnard academic building. They were protesting the punishments the Columbia-affiliated college had doled out to anti-Israel demonstrators. Chung was later charged with obstructing governmental administration. The NYPD issued her a desk appearance ticket.
Who is Yunseo Chung?
Chung moved to the United States from South Korea with her family about 15 years ago. She is a legal permanent resident, according to the New York Post. She filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly tried to deport her, even though she has a lawful permanent resident status.
Department of Homeland Security agents reportedly visited Chung’s parents’ home to search for her. The legal documents say that the ICE pursued Chung and conducted searches at her family residence and university dormitory.
"ICE's shocking actions against Chung form part of a larger pattern of attempted U.S. government repression of constitutionally protected protest activity and other forms of speech. The government's repression has focused specifically on university students who speak out in solidarity with Palestinians and who are critical of the Israeli government's ongoing military campaign in Gaza or the pro-Israeli policies of the US government and other US institutions," reads the lawsuit, which reportedly lists Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump officials.
Chung is urging a judge to stop the administration from detaining her, moving her out of New York City or throwing her out of the country while her suit plays out. Chung’s legal team said the Trump administration’s actions were an attempt 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,” her legal team said. “Officials at the highest levels of the federal government have made clear that they intend to use immigration enforcement to punish noncitizens who speak out in support of Palestinians and Palestinian rights, or who are perceived to have engaged in such speech.”
Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the New York Times that Chung “engaged in concerning conduct, including when she was arrested by NYPD during a pro-Hamas protest at Barnard College. She is being sought for removal proceedings under the immigration laws.”
Last year, Chung faced a school disciplinary proceeding for plastering posters stating that the Columbia Board of Trustees were “Wanted for Complicity in Genocide.” However, the school later found that Chung had not violated any rules.
A handful of anti-Israel protesters have been facing possible deportation under Trump’s presidency. Among these people is former Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who was taken into custody on March 8. Khalil, who was fiercely involved in the tense protests at the elite school last year, arrived in the US in 2022 to pursue a master’s degree. He initially had a student visa but became a permanent resident two years later. At present, he is detained at a Louisiana facility.
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