Federal Judge Rules Against Marco Rubio’s Visa Revocations Targeting Pro-Palestinian Noncitizens

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Federal Judge Rules Against Trump Administration’s Visa Revocations Targeting Pro-Palestinian NoncitizensOn September 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge William G. Young in Boston issued a ruling finding that the Trump administration, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, unconstitutionally targeted non-U.S. citizens for visa revocations and deportations based on their pro-Palestinian activism and speech.

This decision effectively blocks the administration’s efforts to end (i.e., revoke) visas for individuals like Palestinian students and scholars who participated in or supported Gaza-related protests on U.S. college campuses.Key Details of the Ruling

• Background: The lawsuit, filed by the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, accused the administration of an “ideological deportation policy” aimed at silencing pro-Palestinian voices. It centered on cases like:
  
  • Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University detained for 104 days before his release.
    
  • Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University whose visa was revoked after co-authoring an op-ed calling for divestment from companies tied to Israel.
    
• Judge’s Findings: Young ruled that Rubio and Noem “deliberately and with purposeful aforethought” violated the First Amendment rights of non-citizens by using the Immigration and Nationality Act in unprecedented ways to create a “chilling effect” on free speech. The court noted that internal memos warned Rubio the authority had never been used before and would face legal scrutiny. The administration investigated over 5,000 individuals listed on the doxxing site Canary Mission as part of this effort.
  
• Scope: The ruling applies to non-citizens on student, visitor, or other temporary visas, affirming they likely have similar First Amendment protections as U.S. citizens in this context. It does not directly address permanent residents but highlights the broader intent to “terrorize” pro-Palestinian protesters into silence.

Broader Context on Rubio’s ActionsAs Secretary of State, Rubio has overseen a series of visa restrictions targeting Palestinians and pro-Palestinian advocates:

• In March 2025, Rubio announced the revocation of over 300 visas for individuals involved in campus protests, labeling them “lunatics” supportive of movements “counter to U.S. foreign policy.”
  
• In August 2025, Rubio revoked visas for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and about 80 other officials ahead of the UN General Assembly, citing sanctions over alleged terrorism support and “pay-for-slay” payments.
  
• The administration deployed an AI system called “Catch and Revoke” to identify and target foreign nationals for alleged Hamas support, often based on public statements or social media.

This ruling is part of ongoing litigation and could be appealed. It represents a significant check on executive overreach in immigration enforcement tied to political speech, especially amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. For the latest developments, monitoring court dockets or official State Department statements is recommended.