Cornell student protester facing deportation leaves the U.S. on his 'own terms' after losing faith

A Cornell University student facing deportation after his visa was revoked because of his campus activism said he decided to leave the United States.

Momodou Taal, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Gambia, had asked a federal court to halt his detention. But he posted on X late Monday that he didn’t believe a legal ruling in his favor would guarantee his safety or ability to speak out.

“I have lost faith I could walk the streets without being abducted,” Momodou Taal wrote from an unknown location. “Weighing up these options, I took the decision to leave on my own terms.”

The government says it revoked Taal’s student visa in March because of his involvement in “disruptive protests,” as well as for disregarding university policies and creating a hostile environment for Jewish students.

The Trump administration has attempted to remove noncitizens from the country for participating in campus protests that it deems antisemitic and sympathetic to the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Students say the government is targeting them for advocating for Palestinian rights.

Taal, a 31-year-old doctoral student in Africana studies at the Ivy League school in Ithaca, N.Y., was suspended last fall after a group of pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a campus career fair. He had been continuing his studies remotely this semester.

Taal filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration citing his right to free speech. The lawsuit was withdrawn Monday.

In his post, Taal didn’t say where he was writing from or where he intended to live next. He didn’t immediately respond to a text seeking comment.

“Everything I have tried to do has been in service of affirming the humanity of the Palestinian people, a struggle that will leave a lasting mark on me,” Taal wrote.

His attorney, Eric Lee, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Lee posted on X: “What is America if people like Momodou are not welcome here?”