Immigration agents in the U.S. wearing masks apprehended a scholar from Georgetown University right outside his residence in Virginia. They also detained two German visitors for weeks as they attempted to enter the nation legally via the southern border. Agents even went knocking on doors in Columbia University housing, looking for pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
The Trump administration has embarked on a new chapter of its immigration policy, which extends far beyond the mass deportation of undocumented individuals.
Border officials in the U.S. are employing more assertive strategies, which the administration refers to as “enhanced vetting,” at entry points into the United States, leading American allies like Germany to revise their travel warnings. Concurrently, the government is pursuing legal immigrants who have shared perspectives deemed threatening to national security and detrimental to foreign policy.
These tactics have alarmed foreign travelers and created anxiety within immigrant communities across the U.S., which contend they are being targeted for their speech rather than for any legal infractions.
“Whether it involves speech, critique, or green cards, they are really escalating the situation,” noted Gil Kerlikowske, a former Customs and Border Protection commissioner and ex-police chief of four cities. Reflecting on the anti-immigration focus during Mr. Trump’s initial term, he remarked that “it’s déjà vu all over again but intensified.”
The administration claims that these arrests and detentions are aimed at safeguarding Americans.
“The Trump administration is enforcing immigration statutes — a responsibility that the last administration neglected,” stated Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, in response to inquiries about recent arrests. “Individuals who break these laws will be processed, held, and removed as mandated.”
Mr. Trump’s staunch immigration stance has long been a cornerstone of his political persona.
Upon his return to office, he quickly signed an executive order aimed at empowering border enforcement by directing the administration to “identify all resources potentially useful for ensuring that all individuals seeking entry into the U.S., or who are already present, are thoroughly vetted and screened.”
Customs agents possess considerable discretion to inspect travelers’ cellphones or computers upon entry into the U.S. However, such searches have generally been uncommon. In 2024, less than 0.01 percent of arriving international travelers underwent electronic device examinations, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Additionally, Homeland Security agents have access to an extensive database known as the National Targeting Center, which aids in assessing risks among those visiting the U.S. This database enables agents to identify and flag visitors upon their arrival at ports through collaboration with other countries sharing travel information.
It remains uncertain to what extent these tactics were employed in recent incidents involving visitors attempting to enter the U.S. who reported being turned back or detained. However, two homeland security officials, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, admitted that officers were more aggressive following Mr. Trump’s executive order.
Two German tourists reported that they were separately halted at border crossings in San Diego and Tijuana and subsequently placed in a crowded detention facility where they claimed they were denied a translator and subjected to solitary confinement. A Canadian citizen stated she was detained and placed “in chains” when her visa documentation was flagged by officials.
Homeland security entities have not responded to inquiries about either case.
Recently, a French scientist was barred from entering the U.S. The French minister for higher education reported that U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered messages in which he expressed his “personal opinions” regarding Mr. Trump’s science policies to peers and friends.
Ms. McLaughlin rebuffed the claims, stating that the scientist possessed confidential data on his electronic device from Los Alamos National Laboratory, which he had acquired without authorization and attempted to hide.
The scientist worked for France’s publicly funded National Center for Scientific Research. While representatives for the center indicated he preferred not to engage with the media, they did not immediately address the allegations posed by the Homeland Security Department against him.
In another instance, authorities apprehended and detained Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant expert and professor at Brown University, as she attempted to return to the U.S. after visiting family in Lebanon. Despite possessing a valid visa and a court order forbidding her removal, the administration deported Dr. Alawieh. Federal authorities stated in court documents that they found “sympathetic photos and videos of notable Hezbollah figures” on her phone and noted her attendance at the funeral of the Hezbollah leader in February.
Regarding individuals already residing in the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators, who generally conduct long-term investigations, have been scrutinizing videos, online postings, and news articles related to campus protests regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas. They have subsequently compiled reports detailing their findings for the State Department.
The government also seems to be sourcing information from private organizations such as the Middle East Forum, a conservative think tank. The organization asserted in a statement that it currently has over 15 active investigations on “national security issues” and is committed to sharing results about “terror-aligned individuals and groups with relevant government agencies.”
A representative for the forum declined to clarify its interactions with the Trump administration. However, the forum’s announcement noted its “three-decade track record of sharing the outcomes of our work with appropriate government and law enforcement agencies on all matters pertaining to U.S. national security.”
To deport individuals in the U.S. holding green cards or valid visas, the Trump administration has invoked a seldom-used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, granting the secretary of state broad authority to expel foreigners considered threats to the country’s foreign policy interests.
Leveraging this authority, ICE agents detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia alumnus of Palestinian descent who played a prominent role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the university, as well as Badar Khan Suri, an Indian citizen engaged in studying and teaching at Georgetown.
Mr. Khalil holds a green card, marking him as a legal permanent resident. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, accused him of “aligning with terrorists.”
Ms. McLaughlin has charged Dr. Suri with “disseminating Hamas propaganda and inciting antisemitism on social media,” without providing supporting evidence.
An official acquainted with Dr. Suri’s case indicated that the State Department justified his deportation by asserting that his actions could undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He is in the United States on an academic visa.
Dr. Suri’s spouse, an American citizen of Palestinian descent, is the child of Ahmed Yousef, a former advisor to a Hamas leader who was assassinated last year in Iran.
As indicated in a court filing from his legal team, Dr. Suri was confronted by masked homeland security agents outside his residence in Virginia on a Monday night, arrested, and placed in an unmarked SUV. A judge has temporarily halted his deportation proceedings.
Attorneys for Mr. Khalil and Dr. Suri argue that the administration is retaliating against them for advocating on behalf of Palestinians. Neither individual has been charged with any criminal activity and is currently detained while their legal representatives contest their expulsion.
Chad Wolf, who served as the acting secretary of homeland security towards the close of Mr. Trump’s first term, defended the administration’s stringent measures, asserting that a visa is a discretionary benefit granted by the U.S. government.
“They will utilize every available measure to protect the American populace,” he asserted.
However, advocates for free speech perceive a contrasting narrative. Will Creeley, legal director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, expressed his belief that the Trump administration’s “clear intent is to suppress speech.”
“Merely stating that someone is affiliated with a terrorist organization does not exempt them from protections under the First Amendment,” Mr. Creeley remarked. “The administration has not presented any evidence indicating that Mr. Khalil’s expressive actions fit within the narrow exceptions defined by the First Amendment.”
Mr. Creeley’s organization, along with others, has submitted an amicus brief supporting Mr. Khalil.
Janet Napolitano, who held the role of homeland security secretary during the Obama era, stated that Mr. Trump’s latest actions against legally residing immigrants contradicted “the essence of the First Amendment.”
“When the rationale is ‘you pose a threat to national security’ and it involves a single individual, I mean, let’s be realistic,” Ms. Napolitano remarked. “Let’s be honest.”
