Trendpills
A freshman at Babson College was deported on Thanksgiving Day while attempting to fly from Boston to Texas for a surprise visit with his family, an action taken despite a federal court order intended to prevent his removal from the country. Ismail B. Ajjawi, a Palestinian student, was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Boston's Logan International Airport and put on a flight out of the United States.
Ajjawi's lawyers, from the American Civil Liberties Union, stated they were preparing to file an emergency motion in court, arguing the deportation violated a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge. The student is a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit challenging the U.S. government's recent wave of student visa revocations. According to his attorneys, the judge's order was meant to shield Ajjawi and other students in a similar situation from being deported while their case is heard. The ACLU described the government's action as a "shocking and cruel defiance" of a court ruling.
This incident is the latest development in what has been described as a broader crackdown on international students by U.S. immigration authorities. Over the past several months, hundreds of students have lost their legal status, often without notice or clear justification. While initially believed by some to be connected to campus protests, many affected students, including Ajjawi, reportedly have no ties to such activities. This has created widespread fear and uncertainty among the international student community across the U.S.
The government's actions have sparked numerous legal challenges, with courts in some cases ruling that authorities failed to provide due process. In Ajjawi's case, his deportation proceeded despite the active legal protection that was in place. CBP officials have reportedly maintained that they were enforcing a valid visa revocation. The case highlights the escalating tensions between immigration enforcement agencies and legal advocates over the rights of international students. Babson College has expressed deep concern and is offering support to the student's family, while attorneys continue to fight the deportation in federal court.
