On March 15, Pres. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport suspected members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. In the invocation of the law, Trump said, “I find and declare that TdA is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. TdA is undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare against the territory of the United States both directly and at the direction, clandestine or otherwise, of the Maduro regime in Venezuela.”
A few hours following this, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg blocked the invocation and ordered a 14-day halt on the deportation of those in custody and scheduled a court date. Despite the ruling, two planes deporting immigrants to El Salvador and Honduras continued their flights, defying the court order.
At a press conference in response, White House Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt said, “The Administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.” El Salvadorian Pres. Nayib Bukele then joked about the order on X shortly after 238 Venezuelans were deported to El Salvador and said, “Oopsie… Too late.”
Another court defying deportation involves a professor from Brown University who was deported to Lebanon. Rasha Alawieh the professor was detained in Boston and deported a few days later despite a court order delaying a deportation and having a legal visa to be in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security cited that she was deported for having “sympathetic photos and videos” of people tied to Hezbollah and Iran. This came shortly after Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil who is in the U.S. legally was detained by ICE and sent to a Louisiana detention center. Protests and outrage across the U.S. erupted following this citing it as an attack on free speech and freedom to assemble. Following his arrest, Khalil wrote a letter to his family, warning about how his arrest is an attack on free speech and that others in the country will be targeted too for their views. He said, “The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent. Visa holders, green-card carriers, and citizens alike will all be targeted for their political beliefs.” A federal judge has also delayed his potential deportation.
In addition, the Trump administration is expected to reinstate and toughen its travel ban from Trump’s first term. The New York Times has said that 43 countries are expected to be impacted. 11 countries will have all travel banned, ten will have visas heavily restricted upon, and the other 22 will be given “60 days to address concerns.”
The status of immigration in the U.S. is expected to make things harder for international students to attend college in the country and those seeking to study abroad may choose elsewhere over the current political environment.
Elora Mukherjee a law professor at Columbia University and Immigrants Rights’ Clinic director has mentioned that a record number of students have come to the center with anxiety and concerns about their future in the U.S. but even the clinic has had difficulty with these issues.
She said, “I’ve never seen a moment where international students are so worried about what may happen to them if they speak out about injustices in our country and across the world.” The anxiety amongst international students amidst a federal crackdown on immigration and visas is not expected to slow down over the next four years amidst immigration policies being tougher than Trump’s first term.
Elisa Broche Lopez, a junior communications major at the university who is an international student from Honduras, discussed how hard she and other international students have worked harder than they ever had to make an impact on campus and get the best education possible.
“International students often face countless limitations on what we can and cannot do, yet we are frequently showcased on college websites and billboards as part of the institution’s image. We come here not just to create better opportunities for ourselves, but also to contribute—academically, economically, and culturally. Our families often invest their entire savings to give us a chance to pursue an education here, and we, in turn, work incredibly hard to make the most of that opportunity.”
