Overview

• The two-week bench trial before U.S. District Judge William Young wrapped on July 21 and now awaits his written decision on the policy’s legality.
• Plaintiffs led by the American Association of University Professors argued that targeting noncitizen activists over pro-Palestinian speech was intended to stifle dissent and intimidate critics.
• Justice Department attorneys denied any ideological deportation policy and defended the use of the Immigration and Nationality Act’s foreign-policy authority to remove perceived threats.
• Testimony revealed that many investigative leads originated from Canary Mission’s pro-Israel blacklist and that masked ICE agents may have been deployed to instill fear among activists.
• A central question is whether visa and green card holders possess First Amendment rights to express foreign policy views on college campuses.