BOSTON — A federal judge in Boston just torched one of the Trump administration’s most controversial immigration crackdowns, declaring it flat-out unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge William G. Young ruled that the government’s policy of targeting foreign students and academics for deportation over their pro-Palestinian speech amounted to “ideological deportation” and violated the First Amendment. The sweeping 161-page decision came after a full trial and sided with associations of professors and universities who argued the government had weaponized immigration law to silence dissent.

Young didn’t stop at the Constitution. He also slammed the policy under the Administrative Procedure Act, calling it “arbitrary and capricious” and noting it reversed long-standing practices without reason. The case exposed internal discussions at State and DHS about tracking campus protesters and punishing them with visa revocations — tactics Judge Young said chilled free speech and had no place in a democracy.

For Boston’s academic and activist circles, the ruling was a watershed. For Washington, it was a blunt reminder: even noncitizens on U.S. soil are entitled to the same constitutional protections as citizens when it comes to free speech.