Cornell student self-deports rather than surrender to ICE

Ivy League graduate student Momodou Taal opted to leave the United States instead of surrendering to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a lengthy Monday night statement. The Trump administration voided Taal’s visa last month for his participation in hostile pro-Palestinian protests, per President Donald Trump’s executive order to crack down on noncitizens fostering anti-Semitic sentiments.

What triggered Taal’s decision? Taal, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia, described leaving the United States with his freedom and dignity intact, according to his statement. Taal explained that his decision came after a district judge blocked his request for protection from federal detention and deportation. The order came as part of a federal lawsuit Taal filed to temporarily stop the Trump administration from deporting him and other noncitizens, according to the complaint’s request for relief. Taal called on supporters to escalate pro-Palestinian efforts, reiterating his confidence that today’s supporters will, in their lifetimes, see what he characterized as a Palestine free, from the river to the sea. The latter phrase typically refers to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which is currently held by the state of Israel.

The Trump administration recently arrested several noncitizen university students accused of supporting terror groups. Students from both Tufts and Columbia universities face the accusation, along with other students like Mahmoud Khlial for allegedly leading and taking part in campus unrest.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem encouraging illegal migrants to self-deport.