'Trump's lawlessness': Cornell University student describes why he fled US

A British-Gambian PhD student who fled the United States after immigration officers tried to deport him for his pro-Palestine activism has said his decision to leave was motivated by the "lawlessness" of the Trump administration.

"The decision to leave was very abrupt," Momodou Taal, a student at Cornell University, told Middle East Eye's Big Picture Podcast.

"It became increasingly clear to me that even with a court order, my safety was not going to be guaranteed."

Last month, Taal launched legal proceedings against US President Donald Trump to stop his attempt at deporting international students and scholars who support the Palestinian cuase and have been protesting against the war on Gaza.

Taal's attorneys said Trump officials had asked the 31-year-old to turn himself in and were planning to revoke his student visa. So he fled.

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