Stanford student paper wins ruling against Trump administration’s speech-based deportation policy

On August 28, a federal judge ruled in favor of The Stanford Daily, Stanford University's student newspaper, in its lawsuit against the Trump administration's policy of using immigration laws to penalize noncitizens for protected speech, including reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. District Judge Noël Wise found two provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act unconstitutional as applied to protected speech, violating the First and Fifth Amendments. The lawsuit, filed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Van Der Hout LLP, challenged provisions allowing the U.S. Secretary of State to revoke visas and initiate deportation for speech deemed to "compromise a compelling foreign policy interest." The case arose after international students at The Daily reportedly feared immigration consequences for covering sensitive political issues. Judge Wise stated, "freedom of speech belongs to the people" and that the government cannot remove it from citizens or noncitizens, noting the policy created a chilling effect.