Secret Memos Reveal Rubio Approved Deportations for Campus Dissent

The documents, released by Senior Judge William G. Young, expose how the Trump administration orchestrated a campaign to chill political dissent. Internal memos show officials recommended the expulsion of five students—Yunseo Chung, Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi, Badar Khan Suri, and Rümeysa Öztürk—despite acknowledging a lack of evidence regarding criminal activity. Instead, the government relied on a broad interpretation of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, labeling the students’ campus protests and public writings as detrimental to foreign policy.

Legal experts and judges have repeatedly intervened to halt these efforts. In one instance, officials privately admitted the deportation cases were legally fragile, noting that courts would likely view the actions as clear violations of the First Amendment. Despite this internal awareness, the administration proceeded with arrests, including the detention of Tufts University PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was taken into custody after publishing an article advocating for divestment. Conor Fitzpatrick of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned the strategy, stating that the records prove the government punished speakers strictly for their opinions rather than any legitimate threat to public safety.