Homeland Security Investigations supervisors told a federal court on 15 July that they were directed by senior officials to locate and detain pro-Palestinian academics and student activists whose visas had been revoked. The agents said the instructions were issued with unusual urgency and were accompanied by memoranda routed directly from the State Department. One agent testified that the command to arrest Tufts University student Mahmoud Khalil was so atypical that he sought confirmation from the agency’s legal counsel before proceeding. Another described the operation as an “unprecedented, top-down push,” adding that multiple offices became involved in what is ordinarily a routine immigration-enforcement matter. The testimony forms part of a lawsuit challenging an alleged Trump-administration policy of “ideological deportation,” which plaintiffs say targeted individuals for their political views rather than immigration violations. Proceedings are ongoing.