A federal judge has proposed extending protections to noncitizen student activists in litigation that challenges deportations tied to campus protest activity, and a follow‑up hearing is scheduled to determine next steps. The case builds on a sweeping September finding that noncitizen students have First Amendment protections similar to citizens. The court’s deliberations could shape how colleges, ICE and courts treat political speech by international students and whether deportation decisions will be constrained when campus expression is involved.