‘I Was Gambling With My Freedom:' Momodou Taal on Fighting Deportation and Choosing to Leave the U.S. on His Terms

In the weeks leading up to his departure, Taal had become one of the most visible names linked to the government's escalating crackdown on campus dissent after he participated in campus pro-Palestinian protests and spoke out against the war in Gaza.

Much of the government's crackdown has focused on international students participating in these protests. The ordeal has left many of them — including African students — uncertain and afraid of what lies ahead. That very uncertainty pushed Taal to file a lawsuit to block deportation after his visa was revoked. The lawsuit argued that targeting foreign protesters violated their free speech and due process rights. Taal's lawyers sought an emergency injunction to block the government from detaining or deporting him while the case was pending. But the legal effort fell short. Taal announced on social media that he was ultimately forced to "self-deport," leaving the country voluntarily rather than risk arrest and forced removal. He stopped believing that the courts would guarantee his safety.

Now speaking from an undisclosed location, Taal reflects on the final hours before his departure and the toll the experience has taken on his academic and personal life. Through a series of voice notes, he also responds to accusations of antisemitism and terrorism and considers how he will continue advocating for Palestinian liberation from abroad.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OkayAfrica: When did you first discover your visa had been revoked?

Momodou Taal: I first received my visa revocation notice by email. It was the Friday after I filed the lawsuit. The notification said, "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked your visa." When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told me to surrender to their custody, we responded that we would comply with the law but would wait to hear from the judge before doing anything because we had an ongoing temporary restraining order in the courts.

In the hours after ICE told you to surrender, what options were on the table, and who advised you?

When I decided to leave, it was very abrupt. I spoke to my legal team on Saturday, the day before I left. They said the best-case scenario would be that I win the case, but there is no guarantee I would be safe or that the government would listen [to the judge's ruling]. The worst-case scenario would be that I lose, and my leverage to negotiate my voluntary departure is gone. At that point, I felt like I was just gambling with my freedom.

Please walk us through the moment you decide to leave. What was going through your mind?

It was very abrupt, very tense, very stressful. I thought I had made my political point, and I had to think about the best scenario that would allow me to continue and be safe.

What practical hurdles did you face in the window before departure?

It was difficult. I took what I could. I have a very good support network that helped me with tickets, etc.

Were you worried about detention at the airport, and did anything happen on the way out?

Nothing happened on my way out.

Where are you now?

I am not really telling people where I am or how I got here.

How has this episode affected your PhD work?

It is not going to be the same PhD experience. I probably need more teaching experience, being on campus, or being part of academic life. But I have passed my exams and it seems I can continue my degree. I plan to submit and defend remotely.

Have you had any contact with Cornell administrators or faculty since you left? Do you feel the university protected or failed its international students engaged in protest?

I have spoken to supportive faculty, my committee, and people in my department. But no one from higher levels of administration. I feel that Cornell, unfortunately, set the stage. Their heavy-handedness in dealing with pro-Palestinian protesters set the way to put targets on students' backs. The evidence is that the government's briefing cites Cornell's disciplinary processes as grounds for my deportation.

U.S. officials linked your activism to antisemitism and even "support for terrorism." How do you respond to those claims?

I think what we've seen, in terms of antisemitism, is the weaponization of it to shut down criticism of Israel and any opinion that contradicts or challenges U.S. state policy as it relates to the genocide. I have many Jewish comrades who have come to my defense. So, the issue is not about antisemitism at all. The issue is about affirming the humanity of the Palestinian people. That's the dangerous conflation. I think what Zionism has realized is that it has lost the ideological debate. And because it has lost that debate, it turns to antisemitism, specifically the legacy it holds in Europe, as a way to shut down discussion.

As for the claims of terrorism, people can say what they want. And again, I think what happens is there's also a conflation of the Palestinian right to resistance, which is enshrining the international law under occupation to delegitimize people supporting the Palestinian right to resistance. Again, this is a right that they have, they exercise, and it's legitimate. I think the claims of people designating it as terrorism is a way for people not to have solidarity with Palestinian liberation. My goal is to affirm Palestinian humanity.

You said your goal is to affirm Palestinian humanity. How are you continuing that work from abroad?

Palestinian activism does not stop and start in the United States. First and foremost, it is those on the ground bearing the burden. We are in solidarity with them. And that solidarity is becoming the global majority.

How are you sustaining yourself academically and financially?

I plan to support myself through speaking engagements. But also, I am in university. I am still enrolled, so we are figuring that out.

Given what happened to you, what precedent has been set for other international or African students?

The precedent is that your visa and status in the country are now contingent upon remaining silent on political issues. We cannot criticize U.S. foreign policy.

Have the UK or Gambian governments offered assistance or commented on your situation?

The UK government didn't offer official advice, but I had MPs write letters and help. The Gambian government did not, but people on the ground in Gambia, like lawyers, were reaching out.

Personally, how are you coping with the abrupt relocation?

I am coping well. It is a big readjustment. It will take time to process and decompress, but I am okay. It has made me more resolute and firm in my convictions.

Looking ahead, what are your priorities for next year?

Finishing my PhD is my priority. This has made me more resolute and firm in my convictions. We didn't anticipate the extreme levels of repression, but I've often said this is not a position of strength; it's a position of weakness on their side.

What are you most hopeful for?

I've never been more sure of a liberated Palestine from the river to the sea. I know it will happen within our lifetime.