Xiangnong (George) Wang

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...

A district court in Boston will hear argument on Wednesday in AAUP v. Rubio, a challenge to the arrests, detentions, and threatened deportations of students for their pro-Palestine advocacy. A hugely important First Amendment case. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Complaint

Check out our complaint here: knightcolumbia.org/documents/pw...

To listen to the argument live (Wednesday at 10am ET), you can register for remote access with the court here: forms.mad.uscourts.gov/seating-sign...

American Association of University Professors v. Rubio

My @knightcolumbia.org colleague Ramya Krishnan will be in court in Boston this Wednesday arguing on behalf of @aaup.bsky.social & @mesa1966.bsky.social in their challenge to the Trump admin's ideological-deportation policy.

This is the case: knightcolumbia.org/cases/aaup-v...

A Hacked Newsroom Brings a Spyware Maker to U.S. Court When Roman Gressier, an American reporter working in El Salvador, found out that he and his colleagues were being surveilled, he feared persecution and worried for his sources’ safety.

My @knightcolumbia.org colleague @carriedecell.bsky.social will be arguing this case before the Ninth Circuit tomorrow on behalf of journalists from @elfaroenglish.bsky.social whose phones were hacked with NSO Group's spyware. 12:00 ET, link to audio below. www.newyorker.com/news/news-de...

Brief from the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and more than 80 universities says arrests and deportations of student protesters create a “climate of fear” at universities across the country. This is a big deal—the first time universities have weighed in. knightcolumbia.org/documents/eh...

AP wins. ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...

Talked to @audiecornish.bsky.social about the ICE roundup of student protesters, the implications for free speech, and how universities should be responding. www.cnn.com/audio/podcas...

Knight Institute Asks Court to Block Trump Policy of Deporting Students and Faculty for Lawful Speech

That's why @knightcolumbia.org, @aaup.bsky.social, & @mesa1966.bsky.social moved this week for a preliminary injunction asking a court to block the Trump admin from carrying out the large-scale arrests, detentions, and deportations that are terrorizing university communities across the country.

Noncitizen students and faculty have pulled out of conferences, stopped attending protests, purged their social media, and withdrawn from other forms of public advocacy—all because they worry that speaking their minds will result in ICE agents seizing them from their homes.

Every day we hear from international students and colleagues who are frightened about what might happen next. Frightened that any expression of political ideas — whether related to Palestine or not — can be used to strip them of their legal residency status. Frightened that their movements, messages, and social media trails are being surveilled. Frightened that by conducting their research abroad or simply visiting their families they will be denied the ability to return to their homes in the United States.

Profs. Jasanoff and Weld describe in grim detail the climate of repression and fear created by the Trump admin's ideological-deportation policy, and the devastating consequences this policy has had on the university community and the values at the heart of our system of higher ed.

Powerful op-ed from Profs. Maya Jasanoff and @kirstenweld.bsky.social. They are members of AAUP-Harvard, one of the groups challenging the Trump admin's policy of targeting noncitizen students and faculty for deportation based on their pro-Palestinian advocacy.

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...