Tag

#free speech

The right to express opinions without government interference, protected under the First Amendment. Incidents involve punishment for protected speech, retaliation against critics, and policies designed to suppress public discourse.

2 incidents

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Immigration Judiciary Purge: 113 Judges Fired Without Due Process, Including Two Who Ruled for Student Activists

Over 113 immigration judges have been fired without due process since January 2025 — more firings in one year than in the entire prior history of the immigration court system. The April 2026 firing, without stated reason, of two judges who had dismissed deportation cases against pro-Palestinian activists signals to every remaining judge that ruling against the administration can cost them their post, undermining the independence of courts adjudicating life-and-death immigration cases.

Grade 3 of 5: Serious Rights Violation

Political Prisoners: Detention of Campus Activists for Pro-Palestinian Speech

At least five noncitizen activists and scholars were detained by ICE for pro-Palestinian campus activism or writings, with an estimated 300 student visas revoked. Internal documents confirmed the detentions were based on speech and protest activity, not immigration violations, and multiple federal judges ordered their release.