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A federal judge in California has ruled that the U.S. government is unconstitutionally silencing critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, particularly targeting noncitizens who express their views on college campuses. Judge Noël Wise's ruling, delivered on Friday, represents a significant victory for The Stanford Daily, the student newspaper at Stanford University, which reported that some international students felt threatened by the possibility of deportation.
"Freedom of speech is illusory if we are only 'free' to express complementary views about the government and its leaders," the judge stated. This decision builds on a previous ruling from a U.S. district judge in Boston, which found that the Trump administration violated the Constitution by targeting noncitizens for deportation based solely on their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel.
Wise emphasized that the freedoms of speech and press are foundational to American democracy. She pointed out that the government's tactics have created a chilling effect on college campuses, warning noncitizen students that expressing support for Palestinians could lead to visa revocation and deportation. The ruling underscores that noncitizens have the same First Amendment rights as citizens and that the government must provide clear guidelines on what is permissible under immigration law.