Stanford University’s independent student newspaper, The Stanford Daily, has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing that immigration laws are being used to threaten the deportations of international students. 

The case, represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, challenges interpretations of laws that allow the government to revoke visas or deport noncitizens for political speech in journalism. According to Conor Fitzpatrick, FIRE’s supervising senior attorney, Stanford Daily writers said that these policies have already led to self-censorship in the newsroom. 

“They had staff writers and editors who, because they were fearful of being deported by this administration, declined assignments related to covering the conflict in Gaza,” Fitzpatrick said. “No newsroom and no reporter should be afraid to report the news out of fear that, if the government doesn’t like the way they report, they’re going to get thrown out of the country.”

At the center of this lawsuit is the question of whether the First Amendment prohibits the government from deporting a lawful noncitizen for protected speech, which includes comments, opinions or reporting that would be entirely legal if made by a U.S. citizen. The lawsuit requests that the court prohibit the government from utilizing immigration provisions against international students. 

Fitzpatrick, who leads First Amendment lawsuits nationwide, said he focuses on cases in which the government infringes on free speech and press freedoms, regardless of political affiliation.

“We don’t file our lawsuits to defend one particular idea or side,” Fitzpatrick said. “We file lawsuits to defend the underlying right for everyone … because it’s about First Amendment rights rather than protecting one group of people.” 

Stanford Daily’s editor-in-chief Greta Reich declined an interview to speak with the Post, stating that she cannot provide further comment beyond the statement given in the FIRE press release.

Still, Fitzpatrick said the importance of defending freedom of expression remains high and denounced the government for trying to curb speech that is critical of its actions. 

“We hope the message this [lawsuit] sends is that freedom of speech is worth fighting for,” Fitzpatrick said. “We should never treat it as normal that the government believes they can throw people out of the country for reporting or saying something it doesn’t like.”