Trump’s administration moved early Friday to hold an international student at Cornell University, who led protests in Ithaka, New York, campus, to what seems to be the last attempt to kick the United States.
A lawyer for Momodou Taal, a doctorate student in the AFRICANA studies, told court documents that he had been notified early Friday morning that US immigration and customs enforcement seek the surrender of Mr Taal.
Last year, Mr Taal was among a group of pre-Palestinian activists who closed a career exhibition at Cornell Campus that included weapons manufacturers. As a result, his university had ordered to study remotely for the spring semester.
Mr Taal, a great-grandfather of Gambia’s first president, Sir Dawda KaIraba Jawara, is a citizen of both Gambia and the United Kingdom. According to court documents, Mr Taal, who is here in a visa, said he was afraid of deportation in part because his name had been released on social media and media reports as a potential ice target.
The transition to Mr Taal’s detention comes as Trump’s administration is trying to displace other pre-Palestinian students and academics.
About two weeks ago, Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident of the US of Palestinian descent, who recently obtained a master’s degree from Columbia University, was held in New York. On Monday, the government held Badar Kahn Suri, an Indian citizen studying and teaching at the University of Georgetown, claiming that he had violated the terms of his academic visa. Other students are also targeted.
Ice did not immediately return a request for comments.
Last weekend, Mr Taal filed a precautionary lawsuit to prevent possible action against him. A hearing was scheduled for this case for Tuesday in Syracuse, NY, a lawyer for Mr Taal, Eric T. Lee, argued in the lawsuit that his client was entitled to freedom of speech and that there were no legal reasons for his expulsion.
The lawsuit also challenged the legality of Mr Trump’s executive order on the “fight against anti -Semitism” that ordered federal services to release immigrants whose actions could be regarded as “anti -Semitic or supportive terrorism”.
Earlier this week, neighbors saw the law enforcement agents near the building building of Mr. Taal on Cornell campus, according to affidavits filed in the northern New York area.
“This is not the case in a democracy. We are outraged and every American must be too much,” Mr Lee said in a statement.
Lawyers for Mr Taal are asking the court to delay his surrender to ice, awaiting the result of the dispute. On Thursday, hundreds of students and supporters of Cornell performed a rally to support Mr Taal, who is also the host of a podcast called “The Malcolm Effect”.
