Free Speech For People Statement: Mahmoud Khalil Detention is Unlawful and Unamerican

The detention of Mahmoud Khalil is harmful and unlawful. It’s an assault on Mr. Khalil as an individual and lawful resident of this nation, and it’s an assault on our Structure. The First Modification is a cornerstone of our democracy, as is the correct to peacefully meeting and protest. It doesn’t matter whether or not the federal government agrees with the protest; actually, the federal government usually doesn’t agree. However that’s exactly why the Trump administration is focusing on Mr. Khalil.

Mr. Khalil is a U.S. inexperienced card holder who has been detained by the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) in his house in New York Metropolis, denied entry to his attorneys, and moved to a detention heart in Louisiana, tons of of miles from his house and his household. And regardless of being a lawful everlasting resident of this nation — with full First and Fifth Modification rights – President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are demanding that Mr. Khalil be deported. Mr. Khalil shouldn’t be accused of any crime. His solely “offense” is that he exercised the First Modification rights afforded to him by the U.S. Structure to peacefully protest Israel’s warfare in Gaza. However he faces deportation anyway—and the Trump administration has made it clear that extra illegal detentions and deportations of peaceable protesters will comply with.

The Trump administration is claiming that it has the ability to eject Mr. Khalil beneath the Immigration and Nationality Act. However that energy is restricted and permits for the deportation of lawfully current people solely the place the Secretary of State “has cheap floor to consider” that the person’s presence or actions . . . would have doubtlessly critical hostile overseas coverage penalties for america.” No such cheap grounds exist right here. To argue {that a} peaceable protest has “critical hostile overseas coverage penalties” is a harmful absurdity that tramples on our democracy and our democratic values as a rustic. Certainly, it’s Mr. Khalil’s detention that poses a critical risk to our nation, not the peaceable protest that led to his detention.