The Atlantic publishes Yemen ‘attack plans shared by Trump aides’ on Signal
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Details released by media outlet include the times of US strikes and the types of aircraft being used against the Houthis. The Atlantic has published what it said were “attack plans” against Yemen’s Houthi rebels that top United States government officials shared in a group chat that inadvertently included the media outlet’s editor-in-chief. The release on Wednesday came after the administration of US President Donald Trump sought to downplay the significance of the texts shared on the Signal messaging app, according to The Atlantic. The most import of the newly published messages appear to have been sent on March 15 by an account seeming to belong to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They include the times of strikes and the types of aircraft being used, as well as early reports about how effective the attacks against the Houthis were. In the group chat, the Hegseth account posted: “1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)” “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)” “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)” “1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)” “1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.” “MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)” “We are currently clean on OPSEC” [operational security]. “Godspeed to our Warriors.” Advertisement Later, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz sent a text containing real-time intelligence about conditions at an attack site that is believed to be in Yemen’s capita, Sanaa, according to The Atlantic: “VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job,” the message read, in an apparent reference to Hegseth; General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of Central Command; and the intelligence community, or IC. An account seeming to belong to US Vice President JD Vance, apparently confused, wrote “What?”, to which the Waltz account responded: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.” ‘Massive breach’ The publication of the texts’ transcript comes two days after The Atlantic published an article from editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, in which he detailed how he had been added to a group chat where high-level government officials were discussing military actions against the Houthis. Monday’s report offered a broad-strokes description of what transpired in the chat. “The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel,” Goldberg wrote. But on Tuesday, US officials sought to wave the scandal aside, repeatedly denying that any classified information had been included in the chat. “There was no classified information, as I understand it,” Trump said at a meeting of US ambassadors. “ We’ve pretty much looked into it. It’s pretty simple, to be honest. It’s just something that can happen.” Advertisement White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who on Tuesday insisted “no classified material was sent to the thread”, slammed The Atlantic for its latest report. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” she wrote on X on Wednesday. Democrats, however, renewed their calls for Hegseth and other top Trump administration officials to resign over the leaked chat. “The Signal incident is what happens when you have the most unqualified Secretary of Defense we’ve ever seen,” Senator Mark Kelly wrote on social media. “We’re lucky it didn’t cost any servicemembers their lives, but for the safety of our military and our country, Secretary Hegseth needs to resign.” Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost said the latest report from The Atlantic makes “clear that this was a massive breach of our national security”. “Had this very specific plan gotten in the wrong hands, Americans would be dead right now, Waltz and Hegseth must be fired immediately,” he wrote on X. In an interview on Fox on Tuesday, Waltz said he took “full responsibility”, admitting that he “built the group”. “We made a mistake. We’re moving forward,” he added. Adblock test (Why?)
What Palestinians in Gaza say about Israel’s ‘Migration Directorate’
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Israel plans to establish a government agency to oversee the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from Gaza.
UN official backs call for FIFA action on gender oppression in Afghanistan
The UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan urges ‘strong stand’ from FIFA for nation’s women to make return to international football. Afghanistan’s national women’s football team have received support from a United Nations special rapporteur as they urge athletes worldwide to stand in solidarity as they fight their exclusion from World Cup qualifying competitions since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Many players from the team fled the country at the time because they feared persecution. The women’s team has since been unable to compete internationally because FIFA rules require recognition by a national federation, and the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation bans women from playing. The Taliban says it respects women’s rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and local customs and that internal matters should be addressed locally. At a news briefing hosted by the Sports & Rights Alliance on Tuesday, Afghan national team captain Mursal Sadat highlighted the importance of global unity in the fight for gender equality in sport. “If there is one thing that I would request from the athletes all around the world, it would be it is time that we unite together. And it’s time that women support other women,” she said. Advertisement “It would give us a lot of inspiration and support because you guys have a voice to use and that platform is there to be used.” Sadat added that even a short video posted by athletes on social media would be a sign of solidarity against gender-based violence taking place in Afghanistan. Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, said on Wednesday that he stood with Afghan women footballers in their call for FIFA to take action. “I support the call by Sports & Rights Alliance for FIFA to take a strong stand against systematic gender oppression and ensure that Afghan women footballers in exile, who are barred from playing in Afghanistan, can return to international competition,” Bennett wrote on X. National team founder and former captain Khalida Popal said the players are not fighting against global football’s governing body but rather seeking collaboration. “Our platform is sport – together with everyone, with the media, with individuals, with organisations and with governing bodies and including FIFA because we are not fighting against FIFA or any other organisation,” Popal said. “We want to work together to find the best solutions as using Afghanistan as an example to make sure the other countries, the other nations don’t face what we have faced.” In 2020, Afghanistan had 25 contracted women football players, most of whom now live in Australia. Adblock test (Why?)
Thailand prime minister survives vote of no-confidence
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of ex-premier Thaksin, won the backing of 319 of 488 Thai lawmakers. Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, defeating a challenge from opposition parties which accused her of being a puppet of her father, billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. After a two-day debate in which the opposition attacked 38-year-old Paetongtarn’s management of the economy and national security, as well as her inexperience, MPs voted down the no-confidence motion by 319 votes to 162 on Wednesday, with seven abstentions. Paetongtarn thanked her supporters after winning the vote. “All votes, both for and against, will be a force driving me and the cabinet to carry on working hard for the people,” she wrote on Facebook. The motion comes at a bad time for Paetongtarn. Public confidence in her coalition government’s ability to resolve national problems is low, at only 38.55 percent. Her father, Thaksin, was the most influential and controversial politician in modern Thai history. He returned to the kingdom in 2023 after 15 years of self-exile. Advertisement Thaksin served a few months of an eight-year jail sentence for historic corruption and abuse of power charges in a police hospital before being pardoned by the king, fuelling rumours of a backroom deal to treat him leniently. The 75-year-old remains popular among millions of poorer Thais who prospered under his 2001 to 2006 rule, but he is despised by the kingdom’s conservative elite, who regard him as corrupt and manipulative. Paetongtarn became prime minister last year at the head of a coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party, the latest incarnation of the political movement founded by Thaksin, after the incumbent Srettha Thavisin was thrown out by a court order. As well as being the youngest person to take the leadership, Paetongtarn is Thailand’s second-ever female prime minister after her aunt, who was removed in a coup in 2014. Thaksin’s shadow looms large During the censure debate, Rangsiman Rome, an outspoken lawmaker with the main opposition People’s Party, accused Paetongtarn of engineering preferential treatment for her father. “You made a deal, a demon deal, to get your father better conditions than other prisoners,” he said in parliament. “The condition was your father will not be in jail for a single day.” Paetongtarn denied the allegation, pointing out that she became prime minister several months after her father’s royal pardon. Thaksin has since spoken openly about government policy but has repeatedly said he only offers his daughter advice. Advertisement Opposition MPs also accused Paetongtarn of avoiding tax and of mishandling the case of 40 Uighurs sent back to China late last month. The repatriation of the Uighurs prompted international condemnation and led to the United States imposing visa bans on some Thai officials. Adblock test (Why?)
US consumer confidence plunges to four-year low
Consumer confidence in the United States has continued its sharp 2025 decline as Americans’ views about their financial futures slumped to a 12-year low, driven by rising anxiety over tariffs and inflation. The Conference Board reported on Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, the fourth straight monthly decline and its lowest reading since January of 2021. The reading was short of analysts’ expectations for a reading of 94.5, according to a survey by FactSet. The business group found that the measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market fell 9.6 points to 65.2. That’s the lowest reading in 12 years and well below the threshold of 80, which The Conference Board says can signal a potential recession in the near future. The proportion of US consumers anticipating a recession remains at a nine-month high, the board reported. “Consumers’ optimism about future income — which had held up quite strongly in the past few months — largely vanished, suggesting worries about the economy and labour market have started to spread into consumers’ assessments of their personal situations,” said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist at The Conference Board. Advertisement US President Donald Trump’s on-and-off-again tariffs have been panned by economists for sowing confusion and uncertainty that they said was making it challenging for businesses to plan ahead, to the detriment of the economy. Trump on Monday indicated that not all of his threatened duties would be imposed on April 2 and some countries may get breaks, but at the same time said tariffs on imported automobiles were coming soon. “Consumers are rattled,” said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. “At great personal risk, we will opine that the chaos in Washington has something to do with this. The decline in consumer sentiment since the November election can no longer be written off as a coincidence.” The fourth straight monthly decline in confidence mirrored a similar deterioration earlier this month in the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment measure, which has also erased all the gains notched in the aftermath of Trump’s election victory in November. ‘Meaningful pressure’ on profits The Trump administration has largely played down the souring mood among Americans, saying it doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s happening in the actual economy. This argument is similar to what officials in former US President Joe Biden’s administration said as high inflation suppressed consumer confidence without undermining growth. Yet some of the nation’s biggest retailers, who have noted a shift in consumer behaviour, are telling a different story. Walmart has thrived with Americans trying to offset higher prices by seeking bargains. Late last month, however, the nation’s largest retailer slashed its profit forecast for this year. Its sales outlook was also conservative and the company does not include the potential impact of tariffs in its expectations for 2025. Advertisement Target’s sales and profit slipped during the crucial holiday quarter, and the company predicted that there would be “meaningful pressure” on its profits to start the year in part because of tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. Macy’s, Best Buy, Abercrombie & Fitch, Dollar General and others also have grown cautious about their expectations for 2025, with many citing “economic uncertainty”. The Conference Board’s survey showed that purchasing plans for both homes and cars declined. However, in somewhat of a surprise given respondents’ anxiety about the future, intentions to buy big-ticket items like appliances increased. The board said that could reflect a desire to buy before the tariffs kick in and price increases. While inflation has retreated from its highs during the post-pandemic rebound, it has remained above the Federal Reserve’s two percent target. Those still-elevated prices, combined with the announced tariffs on many imported goods, have Americans feeling sour about spending as concerns about the economy mount. Consumers had appeared increasingly confident heading into the year-end holidays, and spent generously at the end of 2024. One month later, however, in January 2025, US retail sales fell sharply, though cold weather shared some of the blame. Earlier this month, the government reported that Americans stepped up their spending in February after the sharp early-year pullback, but only tepidly. The board reported Tuesday that consumers’ view of current conditions decreased 3.6 points to 134.5. Advertisement The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of US economic activity and is closely watched by economists for signs about how the American consumer is feeling. Adblock test (Why?)
Bucks’ Damian Lillard injured with blood clot in calf, out indefinitely
Milwaukee Bucks’ championship aspirations are in jeopardy, with star Damian Lillard diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. Milwaukee Bucks All-Star guard Damian Lillard has deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, the team announced. According to the Bucks, Lillard is on a blood-thinning medication that has stabilised his condition, and he will continue to undergo testing. The team did not provide a timetable for Lillard’s return on Tuesday, only saying updates would be provided as appropriate. “Damian’s health is our No. 1 priority,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We will support him as he moves through his weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play. Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery.” Lillard, 34, last played on March 18 at the Golden State Warriors before sitting out the Bucks’ last three games with what was described as a calf injury. Lillard is averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 58 games (all starts) in his second season with Milwaukee. He has career averages of 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in 900 games with the Portland Trail Blazers (2012-23) and Bucks. Advertisement The Bucks (40-31) have 11 games remaining in the regular season. They currently hold fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings and are down a pair of big men in Jericho Sims (thumb) and Bobby Portis Jr (suspension). Injured Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard last played in an NBA game on March 18, 2025, against Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, US [File: Godofredo A Vasquez/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Why are users of 23andMe being urged to delete their data?
Users of 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing site, are being urged to delete their personal data from the website following the company’s bankruptcy filing in the United States on March 23. Here’s why it matters. What happened to 23andMe? If 23andMe’s bankruptcy goes through, it will soon be up for sale after years of financial troubles. Since its founding in 2006, the company has amassed the genetic information of about 15 million users – a dataset that is now potentially up for sale to the highest bidder. 23andMe offered services related to family ancestry and genetic traits, gradually expanding into tests for genetic predispositions to cancer and other diseases. More recently, the company sought to pivot into drug research. In 2021, the company went public with a $3.5bn valuation, partly to raise funds for this new direction. However, tough economic conditions and declining sales left the company financially unstable. In October, it laid off 40 percent of its workforce and now faces delisting from the NASDAQ after its stock price fell below $1 this week. A US user of 23andMe looks at test results revealing that she carries two APOE4 gene variants, indicating an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, on March 21, 2023 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] What are the current risks to users? In an open letter to its customers, 23andMe insisted that the bankruptcy “does not change how we store, manage, or protect customer data”, adding that any potential buyer would be “required to comply with applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data”. Advertisement Despite this promise, the attorneys general of New York and California have urged residents to log onto the site and delete their data. Arthur Caplan, the head of the Division of Medical Ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, expressed scepticism about 23andMe’s promises. “If 23andMe really goes bankrupt and someone buys its assets, then what’s going to happen is their promises of confidentiality go out the window. The buyer isn’t bound to follow what 23andMe said,” Caplan told Al Jazeera. “They can share data, and given the fact that DNA analysis is even better now than it was 10 years ago when all this collection started, they might be able to identify people.” Is 23andME data protected by US law? Unlike the European Union, the US lacks a comprehensive federal data privacy law. Instead, data protection relies on a patchwork of state laws and industry-specific regulations. Like other DNA home-testing companies, 23andMe is not covered by the main piece of legislation governing the privacy of health records, the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – better known as HIPAA – because it is not classified as a medical company. Data from companies like 23andMe can also be obtained by law enforcement under a warrant or subpoena. In one of the most high-profile cases involving a home-testing service and the authorities, California investigators in 2017 used an unnamed genealogy website to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the “Golden State Killer,” a prolific serial murderer who was active between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s. Melanie Barbeaux holds a photo of the victims of the Golden State Killer at the arraignment of Joseph James DeAngelo in California on April 27, 2018 [Sacramento Bee/Randy Pench via Reuters] Why Is 23andMe controversial? Even before its bankruptcy, 23andMe faced criticism for its data security practices. Advertisement In 2023, hackers broke into the company’s systems and accessed the information of nearly 7 million users. The company was later forced to pay $30m in a class action lawsuit over the breach. The company’s scientific claims have also been questioned. Caplan said 23andMe’s claim that it can reveal meaningful information about ethnic heritage is misleading because DNA can only provide a limited window into someone’s ancestry. “It didn’t make sense to me that you could find out your ancestry from a genetic test because much of the information needed, including where your ancestors were living and what groups they were mingling with 200 years ago, we just don’t know,” Caplan said. “Genes do not sort out by cultural categories like Lithuanian or Panamanian. There’s no Costa Rican gene.” “I always thought the company was collecting the DNA because it wanted to sell it for research,” Caplan added. “The whole idea of ancestry testing and finding out about your past was almost a bait and switch: ‘We’ll give you this cool information if you give us your DNA.’” This March 2019 image shows part of the health advice option in a 23andMe genetic test [AP] Who might buy 23andMe? As part of its bankruptcy proceedings, 23andMe has announced a 45-day bidding period for its assets. Former CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki has resigned from her position to submit her own bid for the company. “We’ve had many successes, but I equally take accountability for the challenges we face today,” Wojcicki said in a post on X on Monday. Advertisement “There is no doubt that the challenges faced by 23andMe through an evolving business model have been real, but my belief in the company and its future is unwavering.” Since last year, Wojcicki has submitted several offers to a special committee of independent directors to take the company private, but those were rejected over share-price concerns. How can users delete their data? If you’re concerned about your data, here’s how you can delete it: Log into your 23andMe account Go to “Settings” Select “23andMe Data” Click “View” Scroll to the option “Delete Data”. Click on “Permanently Delete Data”. Approve the request. Adblock test (Why?)
Yuki Tsunoda to replace Liam Lawson at F1 Red Bull team: Reports
Yuki Tsunoda will be elevated to the Red Bull team to partner Max Verstappen at the upcoming Japanese GP, according to Dutch media reports. Speculation about Liam Lawson’s Red Bull future picked up speed with media reports suggesting the Formula One team had decided to replace the New Zealander with Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda. Dutch newspapers De Telegraaf and De Limburger reported on Tuesday that Honda-backed Tsunoda would swap seats with Lawson as Max Verstappen’s teammate from next week’s Japanese Grand Prix after a Red Bull meeting in Dubai. They said an official announcement was expected later in the week. There was no immediate comment from Red Bull. The New Zealand Herald newspaper said Lawson’s representatives were “unaware if what’s been reported has been finalised by Red Bull”. Lawson was promoted from Racing Bulls, Red Bull’s 2025 feeder F1 team, to replace Mexican Sergio Perez alongside four-time world champion Verstappen this season but has struggled in his first two race weekends in Australia and China. The 23-year-old Kiwi was at Red Bull’s 2024 F1 feeder team – Visa Cash App RB – with Tsunoda for six races last season, after being drafted in as a replacement for Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, and was then preferred for the Red Bull seat. Advertisement While Verstappen is second in the 2025 driver standings, eight points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris after a second and fourth place as well as a sprint third in China, Lawson has yet to score a point. Tsunoda, meanwhile, has made a strong start and scored three points when he finished sixth in the Shanghai sprint last Saturday. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said after the Chinese Grand Prix that Lawson was struggling but the team would support him as best they could. Red Bull have a history of swapping out Verstappen’s teammates, with the Dutch driver the clear number one at a British-based team that lost the constructors’ title to McLaren last year. Verstappen has acknowledged the current car is difficult to drive, with Lawson saying in Shanghai that he was struggling to get performance out of it. Dutch media reports claim Yuki Tsunoda, left, will replace Liam Lawson, right, before the next F1 Grand Prix in Japan, beginning April 4 [File: Mark Thompson/Getty Images] Adblock test (Why?)
US vice president’s visit to Greenland ‘unacceptable pressure’: Danish PM
JD Vance’s visit to Greenland comes amid US President Trump saying he wants to take over the Arctic territory. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has accused the United States of exerting “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland in advance of a provocative high-level visit to the Arctic territory led by US Vice President JD Vance. Vance, who has become the attack dog of US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, will travel with his wife, Usha, and other senior officials to the US’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on Friday, “to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with US servicemembers”, his office said in a statement. “I have to say that it is unacceptable pressure being placed on Greenland and Denmark in this situation. And it is pressure that we will resist,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcasters DR and TV2 on Tuesday. “This is clearly not a visit that is about what Greenland needs or wants,” Frederiksen said of Washington’s focus on the Danish autonomous overseas territory. “President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot be seen independently of anything else,” she said. Advertisement Greenland’s acting head of government, Mute Egede, has labelled the uninvited visit by US officials a “provocation”, as it coincided with government coalition talks in the territory and municipal elections scheduled for the following week. The outgoing Greenlandic government posted on Facebook that it had not “extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official”. “The present government is a caretaker government awaiting the formation of a new government coalition and we have kindly requested all countries to respect this process,” it wrote. pic.twitter.com/wP2TNFfzEN — Greenland in USA&CDA🇬🇱 (@GreenlandRepDC) March 24, 2025 Since returning to power in January, Trump has insisted he wants to take over Greenland for national security purposes, refusing to rule out the use of military force to do so. “We’re going to check out how things are going there,” Vance said of his Greenland visit in a video shared on social media on Tuesday. “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world,” he said. Along with Vance and his wife, the visit to the US military base in Greenland will include White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. By visiting the base, Vance has removed some of the risk of violating potential diplomatic taboos by sending a delegation to another country without an official invite. Vance has already alienated some of the US’s longstanding European allies, publicly accusing them of relying on US military support and being unwilling to devote their own resources to international security. Advertisement Denmark and other European countries have also bristled at Trump’s suggestion that the US should take over Greenland – a mineral-rich territory and nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America. Greenland has broader strategic value for the US as both China and Russia are also seeking access to its waterways and the nearby natural resources in the Arctic. “This is a charm offensive without the charm,” Noa Redington, an analyst and former adviser to previous Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, told the Reuters news agency. “And everyone is upset because it’s so obvious that this is about intimidating the Greenlandic people and provoking Denmark,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
US judge blocks deportation of another pro-Palestinian student activist
Korean American Yunseo Chung, 21, is among several students challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to deport them over their pro-Palestinian activism. A judge has ruled that Yunseo Chung, a 21-year-old Korean American student at Columbia University who is being sought for deportation by the administration of President Donald Trump, cannot be detained as she fights attempts to remove her from the United States over her pro-Palestinian views. “As of today, Yunseo Chung no longer has to fear and live in fear of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] coming to her doorstep and abducting her in the night,” Chung’s lawyer Ramzi Kassem said after the court ruling on Tuesday. US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said government lawyers had not yet laid out enough facts about their claims that they needed to detain the student while her case against deportation plays out in court. “Nor was it clear why Ms Chung would pose potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences,” the judge said, citing a rationale that the Trump administration has invoked in Chung’s case and those of other student protesters it is seeking to throw out of the country over their pro-Palestinian activism. Advertisement “What is the issue with permitting her to stay in the community and not be subjected to ICE detention while the parties participate in rational, orderly briefing?” the judge said, using a legal term for fleshing out arguments in court filings. The ruling for Chung, who has lived in the US since she was 7 years old and holds permanent residency, was a small win in a larger lawsuit in which she is seeking to block the US government from deporting non-citizens who participated in university campus protests against Israel’s war on Gaza. Chung was not at the hearing while about a dozen supporters watched quietly from the court audience. According to a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security, Chung is “being sought for removal proceedings under the immigration laws” for engaging in “concerning conduct”, including being arrested at a protest. Chung said in her lawsuit that ICE agents were looking to deport her after her arrest on March 5 while protesting Columbia University’s disciplinary actions against student protesters. Her legal team was also informed earlier this month that her permanent residence status in the US had been revoked. Such actions form part of a “larger pattern of attempted US government repression of constitutionally protected activity and other forms of speech”, Chung’s lawsuit states and cites the Trump administration’s attempt to deport other international students in the country. One such case is Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate from Columbia University. His attempted deportation over his role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia is one of the most high-profile among several students targeted by Trump. Held in detention, Khalil has described himself as a political prisoner detained for exercising his free speech. Advertisement Khalil is also challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to remove him from the country, and on March 10, a New York district court prohibited his deportation and extended it two days later. Another student up for deportation is Cornell University’s Momodou Taal, who is also suing the US government for attempting to deport him. Badar Khan Suri, an Indian student at Georgetown University, faces a similar situation, as he remains detained by the government. However, a federal judge has barred his deportation for now. Adblock test (Why?)