Cornell University student activist ordered to surrender amid US deportation crackdown

“ICE invites Mr. Taal and his counsel to appear in person at the (Homeland Security Investigations Office) in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the (Notice to Appear) and for Mr. Taal to surrender to ICE custody.”

ICE has not yet commented on the matter.

Taal, a doctoral candidate in Africana Studies and a dual citizen of the UK and the Gambia, previously participated in demonstrations against Israel’s military actions following the October 2023 Hamas attack. Last year, he was among activists who disrupted a Cornell career fair featuring weapons manufacturers, after which the university ordered him to study remotely.

Statement on the unfolding situation with our client Momodou Taal. pic.twitter.com/nKmsoPOUSu

— Maria Kari (@mariakari1414) March 21, 2025

Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism

US President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters, accusing them of antisemitism and supporting Hamas. His administration’s immigration enforcement has increasingly targeted foreign students engaged in activism, a move widely condemned by human rights advocates.

Taal’s legal team has denounced the order as an attack on free speech, particularly as he had previously filed a lawsuit to block the deportation of protesters. He has also claimed that he was doxxed following his activism.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, argue that their criticism of Israel’s military actions and support for Palestinian rights are being wrongly conflated with antisemitism and pro-Hamas sentiment.

I’m suing Trump.

This is my statement: pic.twitter.com/sw9Uv1F4YY

— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) March 16, 2025

Other student activists facing deportation

Taal’s case is part of a broader crackdown. Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, arrested earlier this month, is legally challenging his detention. Trump, without evidence, accused Khalil of supporting Hamas, a group designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the US government. Khalil has denied any links to the group.

Additionally, Georgetown University student Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national, was detained this week. His lawyer has denied any connection between Suri and Hamas, and a federal judge has since barred his deportation.

Ranjani Srinivasan, An Indian PhD student at Columbia University, whose visa was revoked by the administration for allegedly “advocating for violence and terrorism” by supporting Hamas, has self-deported and left the country.

(With inputs from Reuters)