Beige courthouse building with trees and a walkway. © 2015 Cornerstone Concilium, Inc.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Momodou Taal, a Cornell University Ph.D. student who has been in the public eye as of late due to his activism and lawsuit against the Trump administration, has announced he left the country.
In a lengthy X statement posted by Taal on Monday evening, the activist announced his departure from the United States as a direct response to the possibility of being deported.
“I took the decision to leave the United States, free and with my head held high,” said Taal on X.
Taal has been an active participant in political protests and movements at Cornell University, including his involvement as one of the leading forces behind a tent protest on campus, urging the university to divest its contributions to support Israel’s military forces against Hamas troops in Gaza.
According to The New York Times, after being confronted by immigration and customs enforcement officials at his home, Taal’s visa was revoked. Taal was in the U.S. on a student visa as a British-Gambian citizen. He was pursuing a Ph.D. in Africana studies at Cornell.
Although he isn’t one of the many detained activists, Taal said he fears his protection is at risk.
“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,” stated Taal on X.
He also goes on to mention how he is uncertain that walking on the streets “without being abducted.” Taal said his situation might not be different from many others, and warned others they “are not safe” from the political agenda of the United States.
Taal’s current location is still unknown.