Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE detention of Turkish student for co-authoring Gaza op-ed — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department had canceled at least 300 student visas related to pro-Palestinian protests. The number has more than doubled since the announcement. The visa revocations target individuals connected to US universities who have expressed public support for Palestinians or participated in pro-Palestine demonstrations, without providing affected students opportunity to protect their rights before their legal status changed.
• ICE detains Tufts doctoral student and transfers her to Louisiana before court order — Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE agents on Tuesday, March 25, outside her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. On Wednesday, she was transferred to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana. On Thursday, federal judge Indira Talwani issued an order requiring the government to explain why Ozturk was being detained. DOJ lawyers acknowledged that the transfer to Louisiana occurred before the court's Tuesday order directing ICE not to move her out of Massachusetts without prior notice. DHS terminated her student visa and accused her of supporting Hamas without providing evidence, citing her pro-Palestinian activism at Tufts.
• ICE detains Turkish doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk on visa revocation over pro-Palestinian activism — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, wearing masks and hoodies, detained Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and Tufts University doctoral student, on the street in Somerville, Massachusetts on Tuesday. She was transferred to a Louisiana detention center despite a federal court order requiring 48 hours' notice before removal from Massachusetts. DHS accused her of supporting Hamas without providing evidence, citing her pro-Palestinian activism and op-ed criticizing Israel's Gaza campaign. A federal judge ordered DHS and ICE to respond by Thursday morning to an emergency motion to produce her and justify the detention.
• Tufts student detained by ICE reports medical neglect and civil rights violations in Louisiana facility — Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University detained by ICE on March 25, 2025, filed a court declaration describing multiple asthma attacks while held at the South Louisiana ICE processing center in Basile. She alleges denial of medical care, unsanitary conditions, and a nurse forcibly removing her hijab without consent. Her attorneys petitioned federal court in Vermont for her release or transfer while her case proceeds. The facility, operated by private contractor Geo Group, has faced prior complaints of medical neglect and inhumane conditions.
• Federal authorities detain Tufts University international student on alleged Hamas support — On Tuesday, March 25, federal authorities in plain clothes took Tufts University international student Rumeysa Ozturk into custody on a street in Somerville, Massachusetts, alleging she had "engaged in activities in support of Hamas." The alleged basis for detention was a pro-Palestinian op-ed she had written for the Tufts newspaper. On Wednesday, March 26, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed she was being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement center in Louisiana.
• Rumeysa Ozturk arrested by masked ICE agents — Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish student at Tufts University who co-wrote an op-ed criticizing the school's response to the pro-Palestinian movement, was arrested by plainclothes masked immigration officers in Somerville, Massachusetts, as she was on her way to break her Ramadan fast. She was taken to several detention centers before being flown to a Louisiana ICE facility, despite a court order that said she wasn't supposed to be taken out of the state without notice.
• ICE detains Tufts student on visa revocation; alleged retaliation for pro-Palestinian speech — Rümeysa Öztürk was arrested by ICE on Tuesday in a Boston suburb while heading to an Iftar dinner during Ramadan. DHS revoked her visa, claiming she engaged in activities supporting Hamas but providing no evidence. Her attorneys allege the detention is retaliation for an opinion piece she co-authored advocating Palestinian rights. ICE transferred her to Louisiana without notifying her counsel or the court, violating a prior judicial order. She suffered an asthma attack during transport and was unreachable for nearly a full day.
• ICE detains Tufts doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk and transfers to Louisiana detention center — Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student and Fulbright scholar at Tufts University, was detained by ICE agents in plainclothes near her apartment and transferred to an ICE detention center in Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security accused her of supporting Hamas but provided no evidence. Her detention appeared linked to her co-authorship of a March 2024 opinion piece in the Tufts student newspaper supporting Palestinian rights. A federal judge had ordered DHS to provide advance notice before transferring her out of state; ICE records suggest this order was violated.

Supporting reports

• ICE detention of Georgetown scholar Dr. Badar Khan Suri on visa revocation and social media posts — Immigration authorities detained Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a senior postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University's Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, on March 17, 2025. Officials revoked his J-1 visa, citing alleged family connections to Hamas advisers and his social media posts supporting Palestine. He is held at an immigration prison in Alvarado, Texas, with a hearing scheduled for May 6. Georgetown officials stated they received no explanation for the detention. Over 370 alumni and 65 current students signed a letter opposing the detention as a violation of academic freedom and due process.
• Immigration agents detained Georgetown researcher — Masked immigration agents detained Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral researcher, saying his student visa was revoked. DHS accused Suri, who has not been charged with a crime, of "spreading Hamas propaganda" and having "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist."

Supporting reports

• DHS revokes student visas and conducts searches — Following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the student visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia PhD student, leading to her self-deportation on March 11, 2025. Additionally, DHS presented warrants and searched the dorm rooms of two students on March 13, 2025. These actions have heightened fears among international students at Columbia University, who feel they are being targeted for their political views and are concerned about their safety and visa status.
• Homeland Security searches Columbia University students' rooms — On Thursday night, agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted searches in two Columbia University students' rooms. The searches were authorized by judicial search warrants signed by a federal magistrate judge. No arrests were made, and no items were removed during the searches. The university's public safety team was present throughout the operation. This action is part of the Trump administration's broader crackdown on American universities, particularly in response to student protests at Columbia over Israel's military actions in Gaza.
• ICE obtained search warrant for Columbia University dorm rooms using false pretenses to arrest pro-Palestinian activist students — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a search warrant application on March 13, 2025, claiming to investigate Columbia University for "harboring aliens," but attorneys argue the warrant was a pretext to arrest and deport two students—Yunseo Chung (a green card holder) and Ranjani Srinivasan (on a student visa)—for their pro-Palestinian activism. A federal judge granted the warrant; agents subsequently searched two dorm residences. Chung sued to block her deportation, claiming the warrant was obtained under false pretenses. She has since been granted temporary protection from deportation.
• DHS revokes visa of Columbia University student — DHS announced that a Columbia University student from India had her visa revoked and was subsequently self-deported. The agency claimed, without evidence, that she was involved in activities supporting Hamas.

Supporting reports

• Swarthmore College places student on probation for protest participation — UT, a Muslim woman of color and Swarthmore College senior, was placed on probation until graduation on 6 March 2025 for violating the college's code of conduct during pro-Palestinian rallies between October 2023 and March 2024. The college provided evidence including CCTV footage of UT walking on a campus path. UT reported that surveillance disproportionately targeted students of color and first-generation, low-income students, with few white students charged.
• Swarthmore College suspends student for Palestine protest disruption — EK, a final-semester senior at Swarthmore College, was suspended for one semester in March 2025 for disrupting the college's trustees' dinner in December 2023 using a bullhorn to demand divestment from products fueling Israel's war on Gaza. A disciplinary panel found her responsible for assault and other code of conduct violations. As a first-generation, low-income student on financial aid, EK lost her school job and campus housing during the suspension, though the college later agreed to pay for off-campus housing. She remains barred from on-campus events and graduation ceremonies.

Supporting reports

• Trump signs executive order targeting pro-Palestinian activists — Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at "combating antisemitism" by directing federal agencies to explore ways to deport pro-Palestinian activists, including students with visas, who have engaged in protests. The order instructs agencies to identify civil and criminal authorities that could be used to deport resident aliens found to have broken the law during protests. It also mandates the Department of Justice to investigate pro-Hamas graffiti and intimidation incidents, particularly on college campuses. Agencies are required to provide recommendations to the White House within 60 days.
• Trump signs executive order on deporting international students — President Trump signed an executive order seeking to deport international students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. This order targets students based on their political activities, raising concerns about free speech and academic freedom.

Supporting reports

• DHS rescinded guidance limiting immigration enforcement in schools and protected areas — On January 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced rescission of prior guidance that had designated schools as "protected areas" where certain immigration enforcement actions were restricted. The rescission did not explicitly authorize agents to enter schools but communicated that schools were no longer treated as uniquely buffered spaces under federal guidance, altering the legal and practical environment for immigration enforcement near educational facilities.
• Trump administration overturns sensitive areas policy — The Trump administration has overturned longstanding policies that restricted immigration enforcement in "sensitive areas" such as schools, churches, and hospitals. This change allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection to arrest migrants in these locations. The Department of Homeland Security announced the policy shift, emphasizing a crackdown on immigration. This move is part of a broader set of executive actions aimed at increasing deportations and cooperation between ICE and local governments.
• Department of Homeland Security removes guidance limiting immigration enforcement near sensitive locations — The Department of Homeland Security removed previous guidance that had limited enforcement actions near churches, schools, and hospitals. Immigration enforcement operations now occur at houses of worship and other sensitive locations. Over 620,000 deportations have occurred since January 2025 under this enforcement posture.
• DHS scraps guidance limiting immigration arrests near sensitive locations — The Department of Homeland Security removed previous guidance that limited immigration enforcement actions near sensitive locations such as churches, schools, and hospitals. This policy change has led to increased deportations and raised concerns about the impact on vulnerable communities and the sanctity of sensitive locations.
• ICE enforcement surge in Lake Worth Beach following Trump's January 2025 inauguration — Following Trump's January 2025 inauguration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensified operations in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, a city of 45,000 located 10 miles from Mar-a-Lago. ICE agents began patrolling streets, raiding grocery stores, churches, and schools, and coordinating with local police for arrests. According to the Guatemalan-Maya Center director, approximately 70% of center users attending immigration check-ins or court dates have been deported, detained, or given ankle bracelets with 90-day self-deportation orders. The crackdown has created widespread fear, isolation, and documented mental-health crises within the migrant community.
• Trump issues immigration executive orders — On his first day in office, Donald Trump issued several executive orders targeting immigration. These include a national emergency declaration to deploy the military to the US-Mexico border, an attempt to end birthright citizenship, and the rescission of a taskforce aimed at reuniting families separated at the border. The orders have been described as chaotic and difficult to enforce, with many expected to face legal challenges. The actions have incited panic and confusion among immigrants and their advocates.
• DoJ orders prosecution of officials resisting immigration crackdown — The U.S. Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has issued a directive to federal prosecutors to target state and local officials who resist the administration's mass deportation campaign. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed prosecutors to investigate and potentially bring criminal charges against officials in "sanctuary" jurisdictions for harboring undocumented immigrants or withholding immigration information. This directive is part of a broader immigration crackdown, including executive orders to mobilize federal agencies for enforcement and challenge local laws blocking Trump's immigration agenda.