After court ruling, Cornell student who sued Trump administration decides to self-deport from U.S.

Momodou Taal, a Cornell University student with dual citizenship from the United Kingdom and The Gambia, announced he will leave the United States after a federal judge dismissed his attempt to block two executive orders from President Donald Trump. These orders, which aim to curb anti-Semitism, were interpreted by Taal as a threat to his constitutional rights due to his involvement in anti-Semitic protests.

Taal had challenged these orders, arguing that they violated his First Amendment-protected right to free speech by allowing the revocation of his student visa for his participation in anti-Semitic protests, which was a restriction on his freedom of speech. However, government lawyers defended the legality of the executive orders, arguing that they were necessary to combat anti-Semitism on the nation's campuses.

The judge who dismissed the lawsuit noted that Taal had failed to meet the legal requirements for blocking the execution of the president's orders. She further added that the issue of his visa revocation should be resolved by the immigration courts, not a federal court.

However, instead of accepting the court decision, Taal opted to leave the United States on his "own terms." The student used social media to accuse the judicial system of failing to protect him and express his disappointment over the ruling.

"Given what we have seen across the United States, I have lost faith that a favorable ruling from the courts would guarantee my personal safety and ability to express my beliefs," Taal wrote. "I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted. Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms."

Taal came to public attention after sharing on X, following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, messages in which he defended the right of colonized peoples to resist "by any means necessary" and expressed support for "resistance."