A federal judge in California has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deport noncitizen students for protected speech criticizing Israel or supporting Palestinians, saying such immigration enforcement efforts violate constitutional free-speech protections.
US District Judge Noël Wise issued the ruling Friday in a case involving The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University. The newspaper had argued that international students and other noncitizens on campus were becoming afraid to speak publicly because of the threat of immigration consequences.
Wise said the First Amendment protects freedom of speech and the press and found that portions of the government's deportation provisions suffered from First Amendment and Fifth Amendment constitutional flaws. She also pointed to the chilling effect that immigration enforcement had created among noncitizen students and journalists at Stanford.
Judge says immigration threats chilled campus speech
The ruling comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration's efforts to remove noncitizens it says disrupted college campuses while expressing political views.
{{/usCountry}}The ruling comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration's efforts to remove noncitizens it says disrupted college campuses while expressing political views.
{{/usCountry}}Wise cited immigration authorities' actions in March 2025 against people who had expressed support for Palestinians or criticized Israel. She also referred to retaliation against people who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination last year.
The judge said the government's approach had sent a clear warning to noncitizen students: speaking against Israel or in support of Palestinians could result in visa revocation and deportation.
That warning, she wrote, had produced a measurable effect on campus life. At The Stanford Daily, lawfully present noncitizens had quit the newspaper, withheld stories, declined assignments, sought anonymity and asked for published articles to be removed because they feared immigration repercussions.
Wise rejected the idea that constitutional speech protections apply differently based on immigration status. She said noncitizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens and argued that immigration and foreign-policy powers do not give the government unlimited discretion over protected expression.
Decision follows earlier ruling against Trump administration
The California decision largely follows a ruling issued nearly a year earlier by a federal judge in Boston, who found that the administration had violated the Constitution by targeting noncitizens for deportation solely because they supported Palestinians or criticized Israel.
Wise said the government must still ensure that people can understand what immigration rules allow and prohibit, even when authorities have broad powers over immigration and foreign policy.
“The freedoms of speech and the press are foundational to America’s enduring democracy,” Wise wrote, according to the ruling.
The Justice Department had not responded by Saturday to a request for comment on the decision. George Porteous, editor-in-chief of The Stanford Daily, welcomed the ruling, saying reporters should not have to fear deportation because of their work.
The case is significant for international students and other lawfully present noncitizens on US campuses because it directly addresses the intersection of immigration enforcement and political expression. Wise said constitutional protections cover opinions that may be unpopular or that challenge US domestic or foreign policy, military actions or wars.
(With inputs from AP)