Arrest of Palestinian student at Columbia is first ‘of many to come’: Trump
The US president hails the detention of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil over his pro-Palestine activism, describing him as a “Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student”.
“This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” Trump said.
“Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.”
There is no evidence to support claims of “paid agitators” during the pro-Palestine protests that swept US campuses last year. Khalil is a legal permanent resident. His arrest has raised the alarm over violations of free speech to shield Israel from criticism in the US.
US progressive Jewish group decries detention of Palestinian student
IfNotNow warns that the detention by immigration authorities of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University and a permanent US resident, could signal a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on civil rights.
“This attack, which most acutely targets Palestinian students and advocates for Palestinian rights, also enables Trump’s authoritarian consolidation of power against his political opponents,” the youth-led group said.
“It is utterly despicable that they are carrying out this authoritarian lurch under the guise of fighting for Jewish safety. Let’s be perfectly clear: not only does destroying higher education and abducting students for political speech not keep Jews safe, it actively endangers us.”
More reaction to Columbia student’s arrest
Rights groups in the US are denouncing Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest.
“Ripping a student from their home, challenging their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint will chill student speech and advocacy across campuses nationwide,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a post on X.
“Political speech should never be a basis of punishment or lead to deportation,” it added.
The ACLU’s branch in New York meanwhile called Khalil’s arrest a “targeted, retaliatory, and an extreme attack on his First Amendment rights”.
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) also said it “vehemently” opposes his detention and warned that his “situation may not be the last”.
“Mahmoud has a team of experienced and committed attorneys who are working around the clock to challenge any attempt to ultimately deport him for nothing other than his human rights advocacy on behalf of Palestinians,” the group added.
Ripping a student from their home, challenging their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint will chill student speech and advocacy across campuses nationwide.Political speech should never be a basis of punishment or lead to deportation.
‘Black and Palestinian unity is a threat to the status quo’
More than a month into his second term, US President Donald Trump has already made good on many of his dreadful campaign promises. He has ordered mass deportation of migrants and asylum seekers; cancelled federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes; cut funding to underprivileged Black and Latino communities; and pledged to expel foreigners with legal residency who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
It is clear that if we are to survive the next four years, minorities and oppressed people of all stripes must build solidarity networks to stand together and resist.
Many Black Americans like me see the parallel between the historical ways in which our people have been harmed and what is happening in Palestine. The brutal apartheid and genocide of the Palestinian people directly relate to the mass killings and subjugation of Black people here in the US. There is a reason so many of the things we say in our community resonate with the people of Palestine and vice versa. Our mere existence is a threat to the status quo.
ICE arrest of Palestinian activist ‘un-American’: Ilhan Omar
The Democratic US congresswoman has condemned the arrest of Columbia University student and activist Mahmoud Khalil by immigration enforcement agents.
In a post on X, Omar called ICE’s detention of Khalil, a US permanent resident of Palestinian origin, “utterly outrageous” and “un-American”.
“The forced disappearance of Mahmoud Khalil for nothing more than constitutionally protected speech is a clear assault on first amendment rights and a blatant act of authoritarianism,” Omar wrote. “Khalil must be released.”
Sadly it feels very 'American' these days. Remember Biden administration started with the 'anti-semitism' bill. Last May:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-passes-bill-to-expand-definition-of-antisemitism-amid-growing-campus-protests-over-gaza-war
