April 23, 2025
A Pro-Palestinian Activist Lost His Case, but the “Fight From Below” Continues
By Phoebe Grandi
Cornell University student Momodou Taal self-deported just weeks after he sued the federal government in response to Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protest.
Benjamin Leynse and Avery Wang
The day after Momodou Taal reported “unidentified” law enforcement outside his home, a small cluster of supporters gathered on March 20 at a public Q&A to press lead counsel Eric Lee for answers about the fate of his free speech case. Taal, a Cornell University student, along with professor Mukoma Wa Ngugi and graduate student Sriram Parasurama, had previously filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on March 15 alleging that the federal government violated their First and Fifth amendment rights with two recent executive orders targeting noncitizen pro-Palestine activists—including Taal, who is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia—for their speech.
At the Q&A, Lee spoke candidly. Lawyers don’t usually admit when they think they’re going to lose a case, but Lee did. “We know they’re going to rule against us,” he said. When his cocounsel interjected, Lee clarified that he did not think the case would “meet a friendly reception” if it reached the Supreme Court. Instead, he offered a consolation that became the case’s rationale. “If we lose the case, but there’s development of a fight from below,” Lee said. “Then, we’ve won the issue.”
