Ithaca: University campuses across the US are becoming increasingly hostile to free speech, particularly targeting pro-Palestinian activism, as President Donald Trump's administration follows through on threats to deport non-citizen protesters, one international student affected by the ongoing crackdown says.

According to Anadolu Agency, as student-led demands for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza were roiling colleges and universities across the country last year, Trump pledged to deport any foreign students involved. Now, students-particularly those holding international visas-are treading carefully, and universities are advising foreign students to avoid travel amid fears they may be barred from re-entry.

Among those caught in the crosshairs is Cornell University, where student activists have been targeted. Anadolu spoke to Amandla Thomas-Johnson, a journalist and PhD candidate in Cornell's Department of Literatures in English, whose academic focus is on literary activism and global solidarities.

Thomas-Johnson is one of several students whose education has been disrupted after exercising their right to protest. He was suspended following a September 2024 student-led protest during a campus career fair featuring Boeing and L3Harris, companies linked to supplying Israel with weapons used in the ongoing war on Gaza.

In the weeks following the protest, Cornell's administration charged Thomas-Johnson with violence and complicity in organizing the demonstration, allegations he denies. He explained that he was not shown any evidence until after his suspension. Video footage later revealed he was simply 'standing in the room shouting,' without causing any damage.

Trump's crackdown intensified with the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, whose green card was revoked earlier this month over his activism. The US president branded Khalil a 'radical foreign pro-Hamas' student engaged in 'pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.'

Thomas-Johnson, a dual citizen of the UK and Trinidad and Tobago, described the unique challenges international students face under Trump's policies. He stressed that the uncertainty affects students across nationalities, noting that Trump's order has everyone afraid, whether Canadian, British, Palestinian, or Trinidadian.

While his British passport offers relative ease in securing a visa, Thomas-Johnson noted that students from countries facing US travel restrictions are especially vulnerable. Despite the risks, Thomas-Johnson remains resolute in his beliefs and activism.

With Trump tightening control over universities, Thomas-Johnson sees legal challenges ahead, expressing little confidence in a favorable outcome at the Supreme Court. He admitted fears of deportation or worse, but stated that it would not deter him from speaking out.

Referencing the crackdown on campus, he described Cornell as 'very securitized,' with 'a lot of surveillance,' noting: 'Campus is not even a sort of safe space for us. We have undercover police coming onto campus.'