Overview
- At a Boston hearing, U.S. District Judge William G. Young said he will finalize an order next week creating a presumption that immigration status changes for plaintiff academics are retaliatory unless the government proves legitimate reasons.
- The order will be narrowly limited to members of the groups that sued, including the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, after the judge rejected a broader nationwide injunction.
- Young condemned senior officials’ conduct as an unconstitutional conspiracy and described President Donald Trump as authoritarian, citing evidence that top agencies targeted non‑citizen campus activists for their protected speech.
- Justice Department lawyers argued the district court lacks authority to impose immigration remedies and said such matters belong in immigration court, with the administration signaling plans to appeal.
- Hours before the hearing, a divided federal appeals panel overturned a lower‑court ruling favorable to detained Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil, underscoring ongoing, mixed appellate outcomes tied to the crackdown.