Xiangnong (George) Wang

Findings of Fact & Conclusions of Law – #261 in American Association of University Professors v. Rubio (D. Mass., 1:25-cv-10685) – CourtListener.com Judge William G. Young: ORDER entered. FINDINGS OF FACT AND RULINGS OF LAW, PURSUANT TO FED. R. CIV. P. 52(A)(Sonnenberg, Elizabeth) (Additional attachment(s) added on 9/30/2025: # 1 Main Document) (J...

BREAKING: WE WON!!!
💥 💥 💥

Federal Judge William G. Young ruled today in our lawsuit against the Trump administration that the policy of arresting, detaining, & deporting noncitizen students & faculty members for their pro-Palestinian advocacy violates the 1st Amendment.

Full ruling here:

In Landmark Ruling, Federal Court Says Trump Administration Violated First Amendment By Deporting Foreign Citizens for Pro-Palestinian Advocacy

⬇️ NEWS: “This is a historic ruling that should have immediate implications for the Trump administration’s policies. If the First Amendment means anything, it means the government can’t imprison people simply because it disagrees with their political views."
knightcolumbia.org/content/in-l...

In Landmark Ruling, Federal Court Says Trump Administration Violated First Amendment By Deporting Foreign Citizens for Pro-Palestinian Advocacy

Judge Young: "The First Amendment does not draw President Trump’s invidious distinction and it is not to be found in our history or jurisprudence." An extraordinary, historic victory for democratic freedom. knightcolumbia.org/content/in-l...

Opinion

Read the opinion here: knightcolumbia.org/documents/ah...

In Landmark Ruling, Federal Court Says Trump Administration Violated First Amendment By Deporting Foreign Citizens for Pro-Palestinian Advocacy

A huge win in @knightcolumbia.org's challenge to the Trump admin's policy of targeting noncitizen students and faculty for deportation based on their pro-Palestinian speech. Thank you @aaup.org and @mesa1966.bsky.social for trusting in us to represent you.

knightcolumbia.org/content/in-l...

Plaintiffs' Proposed Findings of Fact and Requested Rulings of Law

The ideological deportation policy violates the First Amendment and the APA. It recalls practices long associated with the most repressive governments in the world and harkens back to eras in our own history that are now remembered with shame. Read more here: knightcolumbia.org/documents/xi...

DHS and State have carried out the ideological deportation policy in spectacular fashion and to devastating effect--for the individuals already targeted and for many more. It has terrified noncitizens into silence and created a climate of fear and repression at college campuses across the country.

Under a new referral process, DHS forwarded reports to State to determine whether to revoke an individual’s visa or find them removable. State Dept officials based their decisions on individuals' political speech and conflated pro-Palestinian advocacy with antisemitism and support for terrorism.

A DHS "Tiger Team" produced reports on hundreds of student protesters, including Mahmoud Khalil, Rumeysa Öztürk, and Mohsen Mahdawi. The reports documented individuals' speech and protest activities and included unverified claims that those activities were antisemitic, pro-Hamas, or anti-Israel.

Here's how the govt's ideological deportation policy worked: Shortly after Trump issued EOs 14,161 and 14,188, DHS launched an operation to identify and investigate pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, relying heavily on the website Canary Mission as a source for potential targets.

Post-Trial Brief Supplies Comprehensive Account of Trump Administration’s Arrests, Detentions, and Threatened Deportation of Student Protesters

Check out @knightcolumbia.org's post-trial brief in AAUP v. Rubio, which documents the Trump admin's efforts to arrest, detain, and deport students and scholars for their pro-Palestinian advocacy and explains why this ideological deportation policy violates the First Amendment. More below.

Post-Trial Brief Supplies Comprehensive Account of Trump Administration’s Arrests, Detentions, and Threatened Deportation of Student Protesters

@knightcolumbia.org has filed an almost-200-page brief describing evidence presented during trial in our AAUP v. Rubio case challenging the Trump admin’s policy of arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen faculty & students for their pro-Palestinian advocacy. knightcolumbia.org/content/post...

A Federal Trial Reveals the Sprawling Plan Behind Trump’s Attacks on Pro-Palestinian Students In Boston, a Reagan appointee is on pace to get to the bottom of the campaign against Mahmoud Khalil and others the Administration wants to deport over their activism.

In Boston, the most consequential and far-reaching trial of the second Trump Presidency has been set in motion: A.A.U.P. v. Rubio, which challenges the Administration’s systematic campaign to arrest, detain, and deport pro-Palestinian student protesters.

Landmark Trial Ends, With Court’s Ruling to Come; Record Uncovers New Details on Ideological-Deportation Policy and Its Effects on Academic Life

This has been the first major trial of Trump’s second term. Over eight days of witness testimony, it uncovered a wealth of new detail about the ideological-deportation policy and its effects on college and university campuses across the country.

#AAUPvRubio

Landmark Trial Ends, With Court’s Ruling to Come; Record Uncovers New Details on Ideological-Deportation Policy and Its Effects on Academic Life

Check out some of the highlights of the two week trial here: knightcolumbia.org/content/land...

Further briefing and a decision to come.

It has been an immense honor to represent @aaup.org and @mesa1966.bsky.social in this important case. And I am filled with such admiration and appreciation for everyone we had the opportunity to work with over the past few months.

This morning we wrapped up our trial in AAUP v. Rubio--our challenge to the Trump admin's ideological deportation policy--with powerful closing statements by my @knightcolumbia.org colleague @ramyakrishnan.bsky.social and Alex Conlon of Sher Tremonte.

📍TODAY at 10:00am ET – We're set to deliver closing arguments in our AAUP v. Rubio case challenging Trump admin’s policy of arresting, detaining, and deporting noncitizen faculty and students for their pro-Palestinian advocacy. Register to join the livestream: forms.mad.uscourts.gov/seating-sign...

Prelim matters at 9am ET, closings at 10am ET.

To listen in, register for the livestream here: forms.mad.uscourts.gov/seating-sign...

AAUP v. Rubio, Daily Trial Updates

Tomorrow: Closing arguments in AAUP v. Rubio,
@aaup.org, @mesa1966.bsky.social, and @knightcolumbia.org's challenge to the Trump admin's policy of deporting students for their pro-Palestinian speech and advocacy.

Catch up on the trial here: knightcolumbia.org/content/aaup...

Fear, Repression & Brain Drain: U.S. Campuses Reeling as Trump Freezes, Revokes Student Visas The Trump administration is escalating its campaign against international students at U.S. colleges and universities, announcing that it will begin “aggressively” revoking the visas of Chinese student...

A federal judge in Boston will hear closing arguments tomorrow in AAUP v Rubio, our challenge to the arrests and threatened deportations of foreign students for their pro-Palestinian advocacy. I spoke with @democracynow.org about the case a couple of weeks ago. www.democracynow.org/2025/5/29/ja...

Official Confirms State Department Considered Statements Critical of Israel and U.S. in Revoking Foreign Students’ Visas. Below are highlights from Day 9 of @aaup.org v. Rubio trial. Closing arguments are set for Monday 7/21, 10am ET. Register for livestream below.
knightcolumbia.org/content/offi...

Right-wing orgs put pro-Palestinian students on an ICE ‘hit list’ ‘There’s been absolutely no recourse.‘

“For a long time — and especially the last year and a half — there have been plenty of reasons why people who have engaged in pro-Palestinian speech and advocacy may have felt chilled, particularly on college campuses,” says @georgewang.bsky.social in @theverge.com. www.theverge.com/policy/70772...

“Ideological Deportation”: AAUP v. Rubio Trial Challenges Trump Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Students The first trial in a case challenging the Trump administration’s policy of detaining and deporting international students and professors who participate in pro-Palestinian activism is underway in Boston....

"Ideological Deportation": AAUP v. Rubio Trial Challenges Trump Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Students

Opinion (reversing dismissal)

Read the opinion here: knightcolumbia.org/documents/9m...

This observation, from a federal court of appeals, is significant. It affirms that lawsuits advancing the rights of federal employees--like those challenging the Trump administration's mass firings, agency closures, and other actions that undermine the civil service--likely belong in federal court.

At the time the district court considered its jurisdiction over this matter, the functionality and independence of the MSPB and Special Counsel had not been called into question. This is no longer necessarily true. The Special Counsel and several members of the MSPB have been terminated by the President and the Government has questioned the constitutionality of the removal protections enshrined in the CSRA. Accordingly, we remand to the district court to conduct a factual inquiry whether the CSRA continues to provide a functional adjudicatory scheme. If warranted, a new examination of Congressional intent may be required in light of changing circumstances around the MSPB and Special Counsel’s removal protections.

In particular, the court raised serious questions about whether the Trump administration's efforts to undermine agencies tasked with safeguarding the rights of federal workers have so compromised our system of civil service protections, that it can no longer function as Congress intended.

Fourth Circuit Revives Challenge to Policy Silencing Immigration Judges

Today, the 4th Circuit revived @knightcolumbia.org's challenge to the DOJ's sweeping prior restraint on the speech of immigration judges. The ruling has important implications for the scores of lawsuits opposing the Trump admin's unprecedented assault on the rights of federal workers.

A federal judge just ruled that our case seeking to block the Trump administration from carrying out large-scale arrests, detentions, and deportations of noncitizen students and faculty who participate in pro-Palestinian protests can go forward. Read our statement: knightcolumbia.org/content/fede...

Federal court says First Amendment bars government from arresting, deporting foreign students on basis of pro-Palestine advocacy. Important ruling from Judge Young just now in case brought by @aaup.bsky.social @mesa1966.bsky.social @knightcolumbia.org. knightcolumbia.org/content/fede...