Debate Erupts Over Student Detention for Pro-Palestinian Advocacy

The Trump administration urges a U.S. appeals court to allow continued detention of students involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy. The Department of Justice argues against orders for their release, while lawyers assert that the students are unlawfully detained for constitutionally protected speech against Israel's actions.

The Trump administration is seeking permission from a U.S. appeals court to continue detaining students from Tufts University and Columbia University who were arrested for their pro-Palestinian advocacy. This development comes after lower court orders suggested their release.

Attorneys from the Department of Justice have made it clear that legal challenges regarding deportation should occur in immigration courts, not civil courts. They aim to keep Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi in custody, arguing that simultaneous legal proceedings in different courts was what Congress intended to avoid.

Ozturk and Mahdawi's legal representatives argue that the issue is not their deportation but unlawful detention for free speech. The court is faced with balancing constitutional rights against immigration law, as the students challenge their treatment, suggesting that their arrests were retaliatory.

(With inputs from agencies.)