By Hadram Hydara
Momodou Taal, a Gambian-British PhD student at Cornell University, together with Cornell professor Mũkoma Wa Ngũgĩ and graduate student Sriram Parasurama, has filed a federal lawsuit against President Trump and his administration, seeking an injunction to prevent the enforcement of two executive orders.
The suit, filed on Saturday, March 15, in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, challenges executive orders that they argue suppress free speech and unfairly target pro-Palestinian activism, violating the First and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution.
The orders in question — Executive Order 14161, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” and Executive Order 14188, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism” — have sparked widespread controversy.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Eric Lee, condemned the actions of the Trump administration, stating: “Only in a dictatorship can the president detain and banish individuals for criticizing his administration and his policies. The claim that such restrictions are needed to fight “terrorism” is a lie aimed at chilling speech.”
We have sued Donald Trump, DHS and DHS Sec’y Noem on behalf of @MomodouTaal & fellow students/profs demanding national injunction against Trump executive orders suppressing free speech.
My statement: pic.twitter.com/alEYUAWihT
— Eric Lee (@EricLeeAtty) March 16, 2025
Just a few days before the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident recognised for his pro-Palestinian activism. DHS cited EO 2 as the basis for the arrest, with Trump describing it as the “first arrest of many to come.”
The lawsuit argues that the recent crackdown has led to significant self-censorship among individuals. Momodou Taal, who is on an F-1 visa, has stopped participating in protests, restricted his social media activity, and avoided discussing political topics in academic settings due to concerns about surveillance and possible consequences. Similarly, academics and students like Wa Ngũgĩ and Parasurama claim that their ability to engage in open dialogue and explore diverse perspectives has been considerably limited.
Taal, whose university suspended him for participating in protests against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, faced threats to his visa and his right to remain in the U.S. to study, stated in a post on X: “What Trump is doing is a threat to millions in the US and worldwide. We have to challenge the constitutionality of these orders.”
I’m suing Trump.
This is my statement: pic.twitter.com/sw9Uv1F4YY
— Momodou ✊🏿 (@MomodouTaal) March 16, 2025
Professor Mũkoma Wa Ngũgĩ, one of the plaintiffs, also posted on X, stating, “My conscience cannot allow me to see my students being punished and silenced for calling out the genocide in Gaza.”
I have joined @MomodouTaal and Sriram Parasurama (students of conscience @cornell) in suing Donald Trump for stifling free speech. As a prof, my conscience cannot allow me to see my students being punished and silenced for calling out the genocide in Gaza. Suppression of speech… pic.twitter.com/5ojwLXQaqS
— Mukoma Wa Ngugi (@MukomaWaNgugi) March 16, 2025
