Palestinian Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil was detained by US immigration authorities over the weekend for allegedly violating the terms of his visa after he was accused of illegally protesting against Israel on campus.
However, a federal judge blocked any immediate effort by the Trump administration to deport Khalil, late Monday afternoon. Judge Jesse Furman ordered a hearing on Khalil's case to be held Wednesday morning in New York City.
A group of 14 Democrats signed a Tuesday letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem urging her to release Khalil. Democrats and even some on the right have called the arrest a violation of his First Amendment rights. The Trump administration is reportedly relying on a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives Secretary of State Marco Rubio sweeping power to expel foreigners.
"We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," Rubio said Monday on the social platform X, sharing a news report about Khalil's arrest.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more than two dozen other New York elected officials have signed on to a letter calling for the immediate release of Khalil.
"The administration's pattern of targeting the rights of students and immigrants to speak against injustice undermines democracy and makes everyone less safe," reads the letter. "We're writing to urge his immediate release back to his family in New York City. We also call on the administration to remove ICE and DHS from our campuses. Finally, we urge Columbia University to cease any and all cooperation with immigration officials who violate our sanctuary city protections and put their students at risk."
The Democrats argue he was "targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader" of the Gaza protest encampments last summer.
"This illegal political justification has been stated clearly by figures throughout the administration, including the president himself. We must be extremely clear: this is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country."
There is no question that the Trump administration is using Khalil as a "guinea pig" and a facade for its so-called crackdown on alleged violence. The fact is there is no evidence that Khalil is anything more than an activist fighting for the rights and freedoms of people around the world. There is nothing he has done that can be considered criminal and there is no reason for ICE to be going after him.
This is just one example among many more to come of the Trump administration engaged in overreach and abuse of power. The American people cannot allow themselves to be governed by a despot dictator who believes he can rule the country at whim and based on what side of the bed he woke up on.
It is time to make our voices heard and ensure that the freedoms and liberties of all Americans remains within the law. No government can violate these rights and we must work together to ensure this.
Let's start be demanding the release of Khalil.
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